Nigeria is set to receive a new HIV prevention medication, Lenacapavir, in March 2026, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has announced.
In a statement issued on Monday by the agency’s Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, NACA disclosed that the injectable drug, which demonstrated 100 per cent effectiveness in preventing HIV infection during clinical trials, has secured regulatory approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Lenacapavir is administered twice yearly, offering a more convenient alternative to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications. The drug is expected to be made available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at a subsidised cost of 40 dollars per person annually, following voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.
According to NACA, the Federal Government is intensifying preparations for the introduction and nationwide rollout of Lenacapavir as PrEP, describing the move as part of broader efforts to strengthen HIV prevention and fast-track progress towards ending the epidemic.
The agency highlighted key milestones already achieved, including regulatory clearance by NAFDAC and the completion of landscape and readiness assessments in 10 states — Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Kano, Kwara and Lagos.
“The commodities are expected in the country in March 2026,” the agency stated.
Nigeria currently has an estimated 1.9 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence rate of 1.3 per cent among adults aged 15 to 49 years. In 2021, the country recorded about 74,000 new infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths.
Data further show that the South-South geopolitical zone bears the highest burden, with a prevalence rate of 3.1 per cent. Women within the 15 to 49 age bracket are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV compared to men.
Advertisement