We are managing HIV with selective lenacapavir roll-out, not ending it
South Africa's rollout of lenacapavir, a new HIV prevention tool, is limited to 300 clinics across 23 districts, leaving millions without access. The selective rollout is criticized for being driven by politics rather than evidence, and for abandoning vulnerable populations.
South Africa is rolling out lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, but only to 300 clinics across 23 districts. This limited rollout is criticized for being inadequate to slow the HIV epidemic, which still records hundreds of new infections daily. The government's approach is seen as a controlled experiment, rationing prevention by geography, and prioritizing certain areas over others. The decision is driven by politics, with the US government excluding South Africa from lenacapavir allocations and the South African government refusing to take action against Gilead, the manufacturer. This selective rollout is likely to repeat historical inequities and abandon millions of South Africans who remain vulnerable to infection. The rollout's design choice signals that preventing transmission everywhere is less important than containing it somewhere, and highlights the Health Ministry's inability to tackle pharmaceutical power.
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