Mozambique is preparing to introduce Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable medication for the prevention of HIV infection, starting in January 2026. Health authorities expect to initially acquire between 80,000 and 90,000 doses, with the treatment aimed at 30,000 to 40,000 people in high-risk groups.

The announcement was made by Francisco Mbofana, Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Council (CNCS).

“Mozambique, through the Ministry of Health, is negotiating the introduction of Lenacapavir, a biannual injectable medication, and we expect to receive between 80,000 and 90,000 doses in the initial phase,” said Mbofana.

Lenacapavir has shown nearly 100% effectiveness in preventing HIV transmission and was recently approved by a United States regulatory agency. The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommended its use on 14 July to help reshape the global response to the virus.

Mbofana noted that Mozambique made progress in 2024 in the fight against HIV/AIDS, particularly through the National Health System’s expansion of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, which now covers around two million people. He also highlighted the distribution of a record 170 million condoms across the country last year as a major preventative achievement.

“The aim of treatment is to suppress the viral load to undetectable levels. We’re on the right path — 76% of patients on treatment have achieved viral suppression. However, we still haven’t reached the global targets,” he stated, quotes by local media.

Mozambique has fallen short of the UNAIDS “95-95-95” goals, which aim for 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, 95% of those diagnosed to be on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment to achieve viral suppression.

“In Mozambique, 88% of people living with HIV are aware of their status. Of those, 83% are receiving treatment, and 76% have managed to suppress the virus. These are encouraging figures, though there’s still work to do,” Mbofana acknowledged.

Regarding recent budget cuts by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mbofana assured the public that health assistance programmes remain operational. He explained that USAID had temporarily suspended funding to the CNCS to restructure its support but is expected to resume soon.

Looking ahead, the health sector faces the challenge of maintaining high condom distribution levels amid reductions in external funding. Mbofana emphasised the need to increase supply and ensure wider access: “If we’re currently distributing one million condoms, we must find ways to increase that to two million to sustain the progress we’ve made.”

In 2024, Mozambique recorded 92,000 new HIV infections, placing it as the country with the second-highest infection rate in sub-Saharan Africa