Zambia has become the first country in Africa to offer an injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine for HIV prevention.
Injectable PrEP is a safe and effective HIV prevention tool that provides clients with two months of HIV protection between injections.
Cabotegravir Long-Acting for HIV prevention is now being offered outside of a study setting.
The United States government has delivered the first shipment of injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine for HIV prevention to Zambia.
The donation includes 14,850 vials of injectable PrEP, called Cabotegravir Long-Acting (CAB-LA), to Zambia’s Ministry of Health, which will protect at least 2,000 Zambians against HIV for one year.
Health Minister Sylvia Masebo says the impact of the donation extends beyond the vials received, as it represents hope, progress, and a collective determination to create a healthier and brighter future for Zambians.
Ms. Masebo made these remarks during the launch at Mwanjuni Health Post, a facility in Chibombo district supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ryan Phelps, Country Chair for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), emphasized the importance of people at risk of acquiring HIV choosing the HIV prevention method that works best for them and fits into their lifestyle.
The U.S. government is the largest donor to Zambia’s health sector, providing services to more than 15 million Zambians and contributing roughly one in every three kwacha spent nationally on public healthcare.