United Nations — Remarks by Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), at a High-level Meeting in the General Assembly Hall, 22 June 2026 I am honoured to address this High-Level Meeting. I thank very much the President of the General Assembly for her leadership, our Co-Facilitators, and all the…
As South Africa becomes the ninth African country to introduce the use of new long-acting drug lenacapavir for HIV prevention, RFI spoke with infectious disease specialist Ndong Essomba Bitchoka about how the treatment works, whether the supply will meet demand and why developing an HIV vaccine remains a challenge. New long-acting antiretroviral treatment lenacapavir requires…
More than eight million South Africans are living with HIV – the highest number of any country in the world.
The first shipment of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable that prevents HIV with two shots a year, arrived in South Africa from the United States in early April 2026. Clinical trials showed close to 100% efficacy. The rollout, expected to begin in June 2026, prioritises adolescent girls and young women, pregnant and breastfeeding women, transgender people,…
Decades of gains in the fight against AIDS are under growing threat as donor funding declines and community-based health services collapse in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, the head of the joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS warned on Thursday. The sudden funding decline is hitting the HIV response “like a shock wave,” said…
Africa has to make a critical shift towards self-sufficiency in addressing its HIV challenges, emphasising the need for ownership, sustainable financing and strengthened health infrastructure for lasting impact. The recent Second Global Edition of the African Public Square (APS) open debate, convened during King’s Africa Week at Bush House, King’s College London, on 2 March…
HIV remains one of the biggest public health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for approximately two-thirds of about 40 million people living with HIV globally. Young people continue to account for a large share of new infections, with an estimated 370,000 new infections occurring among those aged 15-24 in 2024 alone. This…
U.S. Embassy Pretoria Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE United States Welcomes Arrival of Groundbreaking HIV Prevention Medicine in South Africa PRETORIA, South Africa – The U.S. Mission to South Africa welcomes the arrival of the first shipment of Lenacapavir to South Africa on April 7, marking a significant milestone in the global fight against HIV/AIDS….
Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has come under mounting pressure after refusing to sell its breakthrough HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, directly to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), despite repeated requests. In an open letter, the group renewed its repeated requests to California-based Gilead to sell the drug, saying the company is blocking lenacapavir’s rollout. MSF said it had sought to purchase…
Blocking humanitarian organizations from accessing a medical breakthrough puts vulnerable people across the world in danger. In an open letter published today, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called on the US pharmaceutical corporation Gilead Sciences to immediately sell the organization the game-changing and highly effective HIV prevention medicine, lenacapavir, for use in its medical programs worldwide. Despite multiple requests, the company…
