Lenacapavir to arrive in Nigeria March 2026 for HIV prevention
Nigeria will introduce lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug, in March 2026. The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) secured regulatory clearance from NAFDAC and completed readiness assessments in 10 states including Lagos, Kano, Akwa Ibom and Anambra. The drug offers a long-acting alternative to daily oral PrEP, reducing medication burden to just two doses per year. Lenacapavir interferes with HIV capsid protein to prevent replication, with 99.9% transmission reduction according to global trials. WHO endorsed it as an additional prevention option in July 2025. Nigeria joined South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia in adopting the drug after securing a $40/year price reduction for low/middle-income countries, down from $28,000 annually. This addresses Nigeria's HIV prevention gaps where daily PrEP adherence challenges persist among key populations like adolescent girls and sex workers. NACA completed state readiness assessments and healthcare worker training ahead of rollout. Will this affordable long-acting option improve HIV prevention access in your community?