Justicia Shipena
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has approved the registration of lenacapavir.
Lenacapavir is a long-acting HIV prevention medicine administered twice a year.
Lenacapavir is used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and is given as an injectable formulation.
This differs from existing PrEP options, which require people to take tablets every day. Thousands of Namibians are currently using daily oral PrEP.
Namibia has surpassed the 95-95-95 HIV targets set by UNAIDS.
These targets require that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed receive treatment, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Despite this progress, new HIV infections continue, particularly among high-risk groups.
Health Minister Esperance Luvindao said the registration of lenacapavir is a step forward but warned that high prices remain a major barrier.
“But innovation without equity is not enough. We recognize that the current global list price reported at more than USD 28 000 per person per year places this life-saving technology well beyond the reach of most Africans. This is a price that simply does not reflect the reality of the average African or Namibian. Access to cutting-edge health technologies must not be a privilege for the few; it must be available to all, regardless of where you come from or how much money you have in your bank account,” Luvindao said on Thursday.
UNAIDS estimates that about 4 000 adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV every week in 2024, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. This amounts to hundreds of new infections each day.
The ministry said the continued number of new infections highlights the need for longer-acting HIV prevention options, especially for people who struggle to take daily medication.
Luvindao has opened discussions with the Director-General of the African Medicines Agency to push for price reductions so that lenacapavir can be added to public health programmes without straining national HIV budgets.
The ministry said it will continue to engage regional and global partners to advocate for affordable pricing.
Two months ago, during the World AIDS Day commemoration in Otjiwarongo, Luvindao also said the cost of the twice-yearly injection was too high for immediate rollout in the public health system.
She said the medicine has the potential to change HIV prevention and treatment but remains out of reach for most public patients.
Namibia was listed in October as one of 120 countries included in Gilead Sciences’ global licensing and access plan for lenacapavir. The drug has also been approved in the United States and Europe and is being submitted for regulatory approval in 18 priority countries, including Namibia.
Research published in The Lancet HIV estimates that a future generic version of lenacapavir could cost between US$35 and US$46 per person per year, and as low as US$25 with large-scale demand.
Plans to roll out lenacapavir are underway in Kenya, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with distribution expected to begin in 2026.
Last month, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority approved lenacapavir tablets and injectable formulations for HIV prevention after a 12-day review. Zimbabwe’s Medicines Control Authority later approved the product after 18 working days.
On 27 October 2025, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority became the first African regulator to approve lenacapavir, working with the European Medicines Agency under the EU-M4all procedure.
HIV advocates have called on the government to ensure fair access. VIALWA Foundation founder Lazarus Ndiilenga urged authorities to ensure the medicine is accessible to all who need it.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on countries to expand access to new HIV prevention tools such as lenacapavir. WHO warned that funding cuts to global HIV programmes have disrupted services and increased risks for vulnerable groups.
New WHO guidelines released in July recommend lenacapavir as an additional option for HIV prevention.
