The US State Department announced today that it will introduce the HIV-prevention drug lenacapavir in Uganda through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Administered just twice a year by injection, lenacapavir is an HIV-1 capsid inhibitor that offers sustained and more convenient protection against HIV infection in at-risk populations.
Randomized controlled trials have found that 99% of people on lenacapavir remain HIV negative. Uganda is one of 10 high-burden HIV countries where the drug will be distributed through PEPFAR.
Drugmaker Gilead has agreed to provide the drug at cost and to provide their intellectual property to generic manufacturers. “This exciting development will accelerate our progress toward ending HIV as a public health threat, building a healthier future for America, Uganda, and the world,” Ambassador William Popp, MA, said in a press release from the US Embassy in Uganda.
At its most recent meeting, the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization recommended that countries consider issuing recommendations for targeted use of currently licensed A(H5) vaccines based on risk of exposure to avian flu.
SAGE recommended targeting lab workers who handle H5 viruses, first responders in zoonotic flu outbreaks, health workers who evaluate and manage suspected or confirmed human cases, and people with ongoing contact with animals or their environments where animal and human infections have been reported.
Three countries reported new polio cases last week, according to the most recent update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
In Pakistan, two case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) with paralysis onsets of August 12 and 14 were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bringing the country’s total number of WPV1 cases this year to 26.
Angola reported three cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) from Huila province, bringing its cVDPV2 total for 2025 to 11 cases.
Nigeria has now seen 32 cVDPV2 cases this year after reporting 4 new cases from Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.