In the same month that the world marks more than 45 years since the first reported case of HIV/Aids, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has announced that a potentially life-saving HIV prevention drug, Lenacapavir, will be rolled out to 94 healthcare facilities across the eThekwini district, including clinics in Overport, Clare Estate and Cato Manor – an area long regarded as one of the district’s highest HIV-burden communities.

The list of participating facilities was released on Friday, June 19, as part of phase one of the province’s Lenacapavir rollout programme.

Among the facilities selected are Overport Clinic, Clare Estate Clinic, Addington Gateway Clinic, Cato Manor Community Health Centre, Chesterville Clinic, and Redhill Clinic, alongside dozens of others spread across the district.

The rollout follows the arrival of the first batch of Lenacapavir in South Africa earlier this year. According to the Department of Health, the shipment consists of 37, 920 doses of the groundbreaking HIV prevention medicine, which is administered as a six-monthly injection.

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Unlike a vaccine, Lenacapavir is a preventative medication designed to reduce the risk of HIV infection. Health authorities have described it as one of the most significant advances in HIV prevention in recent years.

The department said the injectable treatment is expected to expand prevention choices and improve adherence, particularly among vulnerable groups such as adolescent girls and young women, sex workers and men who have sex with men.

The announcement is especially significant for eThekwini, which remains one of South Africa’s highest HIV-burden districts.

Communities such as Cato Manor have historically recorded high HIV prevalence rates, making access to effective prevention tools critical in the fight against new infections.

Health minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, previously described the arrival of Lenacapavir as a major milestone in South Africa’s efforts to end Aids as a public health threat by 2030.

Public health experts believe the introduction of the long-acting injectable could transform HIV prevention by removing the challenge of taking daily medication and offering greater convenience for users.

For communities across eThekwini, the rollout represents more than just a new medicine. It signals a renewed chapter in the decades-long fight against HIV and offers fresh hope that the tide of new infections can finally be turned.