Nigeria has made a big move in its fight against HIV with the arrival of the first batch of lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug expected to change HIV prevention and help the country reach the goal of eliminating the disease by 2030.
The Federal Central Stores in Oshodi, Lagos, received 11,520 doses of the injection on Wednesday, part of a total of 52,000 doses that will arrive in three shipments under a Global Fund-supported programme.
Nigeria is one of nine countries chosen worldwide for the early rollout of this innovative injection, highlighting its importance in the global battle against HIV.
At the reception, Pharm. Mohammed Patiko, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain Management at the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, called the delivery a key step in expanding HIV prevention options in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the NASCP National Coordinator, Patiko said, “We are here to receive the first tranche of a total of 52,000 doses of the lenacapavir injection, donated by the Global Fund to Nigeria as one of the nine adopted countries in the world.
“It is a prevention commodity expected to reduce infections. We are expecting three batches, the first one received today is 11,520 doses, the second will come in May, and the third in October.
“The target population includes serodiscordant couples, people at risk of HIV/AIDS, and key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), and transgender persons.
“For the National HIV Programme pilot and study, the injection will be provided free of charge to all clients who are enrolled and will be available at designated health facilities in eight pilot states.
“These are the Global Fund-supported states of Kwara, Gombe, Ebonyi, and Anambra. Other states are the FCT, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Benue, and it will be available at designated secondary health facilities in these states.”
Patiko added that distribution to the designated health centres will start next week through existing logistics channels. He noted that unlike daily oral PrEP, which can be hard to stick to, lenacapavir is a long-acting injection given twice a year, offering a simpler and more convenient option.
“Public health experts say this long-acting option could dramatically improve uptake, particularly among high-risk groups. The pilot phase will target key populations, including serodiscordant couples and individuals at heightened risk of HIV exposure, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender persons.”
