Kenya will launch a clinical rollout of lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV-prevention injection, in early March. The drug offers up to 99.9 percent protection against HIV transmission with just two doses administered annually, marking a significant advancement in prevention efforts.
The initial phase will target 15 counties, using the first 21,000 doses delivered through the Global Fund. Health Minister Aden Duale stated an additional 12,000 doses are expected by April. Manufactured by Gilead Sciences, lenacapavir’s introduction addresses the high HIV burden in Eastern and Southern Africa, which accounts for over half of global infections.
This rollout coincides with major shifts in international health funding. Under the Trump administration, U.S. foreign aid priorities have been restructured, creating uncertainty for traditional HIV programs. In response, Kenya secured a new $2.5 billion bilateral health partnership with the United States in December—the first since USAID’s dissolution. The five-year agreement sees Washington commit $1.6 billion while Kenya contributes $850 million, gradually increasing its own financial responsibility for health programs.
The U.S. has also committed 25,000 lenacapavir doses directly to Kenya, which has a national HIV prevalence rate of 3.7 percent. However, the bilateral deal faces a legal challenge; a Kenyan senator has filed a court case alleging constitutional violations in its negotiation and structure.
The lenacapavir rollout represents both a medical milestone and a test of new sustainable funding models in a region heavily reliant on external aid. Its success in the first 15 counties will be closely watched as a potential blueprint for other nations navigating similar transitions in global health financing.
The launch underscores a strategic pivot toward innovative biomedical tools and domestically-led health systems, even as legal and political uncertainties loom over the long-term partnership framework.
