Kenya is set to roll out a groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug this March, and it’s a win for the whole continent.
The drug, called lenacapavir, is taken just twice a year and has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9%. While many people may think of it as a “vaccine”, experts say it is technically a long-acting prevention drug because it doesn’t train the immune system like traditional vaccines do.
Kenya is one of nine African countries selected to introduce lenacapavir, with countries like South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia already beginning their rollout in December. The first phase in Kenya will cover 15 priority counties starting in early March. 
According to 2024 data from UNAIDS, eastern and southern Africa remain the hardest-hit regions, accounting for about 52% of the 40.8 million people currently living with HIV worldwide. Kenya itself has an HIV prevalence rate of 3.7%.
The country has already received 21,000 doses of the drug through a partnership involving Gilead Sciences and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, with an additional 25,000 doses expected from the United States government. Health officials say more continuation doses are also expected in April.
However, the rollout is happening at a time when several African HIV/AIDS programmes are facing uncertainty due to aid cuts from the U.S. Still, Kenya recently signed a $2.5 billion health aid agreement with Washington, which includes funding to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and polio over the next five years.
African Countries with the Highest Number of People Living with HIV
HIV remains one of Africa’s most pressing public health challenges, with millions of people across the continent still living with the virus. Despite progress being made in the treatment of the virus, the numbers in some countries still remain high.
Here are the top five African countries with the highest number of HIV patients:
1. South Africa
South Africa has the highest number of HIV-positive patients in the world, with over 7 million citizens living with the virus.
2. Nigeria
In West Africa, Nigeria has the highest number of HIV cases, with over 1.9 million people living with the virus. Although the number of people affected is lower than in South Africa.
3. Kenya
Kenya ranks among the top in East Africa, with a national HIV rise of 3.7%. The country has made significant progress in treatment and prevention efforts over the years and is making efforts to start a rollout of vaccines in March.
4. Mozambique
Young women and poor communities are particularly the most vulnerable to HIV in Mozambique. While new infections have decreased, around 84,000–87,000 new infections occurred in 2023.
5. Uganda
Uganda was once at the centre of Africa’s HIV crisis but has since made notable progress. However, it still has a significant number of people living with HIV.
With Kenya now rolling out lenacapavir, many health experts are hopeful this twice-a-year prevention drug could help change the trajectory of HIV infections not just in Kenya, but across the continent.
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