Nigeria to receive HIV prevention drug in March — NACA

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS has announced that Nigeria will take delivery of Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug that has shown 100% effectiveness in preventing HIV infection in clinical trials.

A short statement released by the Head of Public Relations, NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe, on Monday said the agency has secured regulatory approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

Lenacapavir is an injectable treatment administered twice a year, making it a more convenient alternative to daily oral prevention drugs.

The drug is expected to be available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at an affordable price of $40 per person annually, thanks to voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.

“The Government of Nigeria is advancing preparations for the introduction and rollout of Lenacapavir as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

“This is part of the government’s commitment to strengthen HIV prevention and accelerate progress toward epidemic control,” the statement read.

NACA listed some significant milestones achieved, including completion of landscape and readiness assessments across ten states: Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, FCT, Gombe, Kano, Kwara, and Lagos, alongside regulatory approval by NAFDAC.

“The commodities are expected in the country in March 2026,” NACA noted.

Nigeria has approximately 1.9 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence of 1.3% among adults aged 15-49 years.

The country recorded 74,000 new HIV infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2021.

 

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The South-South zone has the highest HIV prevalence at 3.1%, while women aged 15-49 years are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV as men.