The United States announced Tuesday that it has delivered a new HIV prevention treatment to two African countries, months after President Donald Trump sharply reduced global aid funding.
The rollout involves the drug Lenacapavir, in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, as well as the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences.
A total of 1,000 doses have been sent to Eswatini and Zambia, with administration scheduled to begin this week, according to Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund.
Jeremy Lewin, who oversees aid at the US State Department, said the United States plans to finance two million doses of Lenacapavir for low- and middle-income African countries.
The goal is to reach the target by 2028, though Lewin noted it could be achieved as early as mid-2027.
Lenacapavir is an injectable HIV treatment that requires administration only twice a year, offering a major improvement over daily pill regimens.
Manufactured by Gilead Sciences, the drug is expected to significantly reduce new HIV infections, particularly among pregnant and breastfeeding women.
“This is a really important moment in the history of HIV,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and CEO of Gilead Sciences.
“It is the first time in history medication is given in Africa the same year it was approved in the US.”
Since returning to office in January, President Trump has cut over 80 percent of foreign assistance, calling much of it wasteful and asserting that it does not serve US interests.
His administration has also reduced longstanding HIV/AIDS prevention programs, including those supporting PrEP, which helps prevent HIV among high-risk populations.
Despite these cuts, global efforts since 2010 have reduced new HIV infections by 40 percent, though UNAIDS data projects 1.3 million new infections in 2024.
The US-backed initiative aims to expand distribution to other African countries, including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, according to Daniel O’Day.
Experts warn that reductions in US and European aid could have devastating consequences.
Research submitted Monday by experts in Spain, Brazil, and Mozambique predicts up to 22.6 million preventable deaths by 2030 if funding cuts continue.
