Zimbabwe Announces a Plan to Adopt an Injectable HIV Immunization, Being the First African Nation to do so

Rapid HIV Testing is Performed in Marondera, Zimbabwe (Source: UK Department for International Development)

As of Monday, October 17th, 2022, Zimbabwe is now the first African country to approve the use of an injectable drug that can be used for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) prevention. The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe announced the use of a long-acting injectable drug called cabotegravir (CAB-LA) as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug for the prevention of HIV. As only the third country in the world to adopt any HIV prevention drug and the first in Africa, this is a tremendous step to promoting healthy sex habits in Zimbabwe. In many African countries, communities that are at the highest risk for contracting HIV, such as sex workers and the LGBTQ+ communities, have limited access to healthcare because of discriminatory legislation and politics.

Additionally, many supranational organizations are getting involved in Zimbabwe’s fight against HIV. After recent surges in global HIV rates, the WHO (World Health Organization) advised world leaders to take measures to prevent the spread of the disease in their countries. At the WHO’s discretion, Zimbabwe approved this measure because of the evidence proving that CAB-LA is highly effective in reducing transmission of the HIV virus, which is especially rampant in southern Africa. Furthermore, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is involved in Zimbabwe and has published statistics regarding the severity of the disease in the country. Since 1997, the rate of HIV has declined from 26.5% to 14.3% to date. While this is a steep decline, this is still the fifth-highest rate of HIV in the globe. 

According to the WHO, the drug is highly effective for HIV prevention, but it does require many steps for peak effectiveness. The intramuscular injection is supposed to have its first two doses administered four weeks apart with a follow-up injection every eight weeks after that. The WHO also recognizes what a crucial step this would be for African nations, and they even offered their help to start the program’s implementation.