Kenya will roll out a groundbreaking new HIV-prevention drug in March across 15 priority regions, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
“The first phase of implementation will begin early March, covering 15 counties,” health minister Aden Duale said in a statement.
“We expect an additional 12,000 continuation doses by April,” he added.
The minister said the US government had committed to supply Kenya, which has an HIV prevalence of 3.7 percent, with an additional 25,000 doses of the drug.
The rollout of lenacapavir comes as African countries grapple with aid cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration that have affected HIV/AIDS programmes across the continent.
Kenya has close ties with the United States and in December signed a $2.5 billion health aid deal — the first such bilateral agreement after Trump dismantled the USAID agency and sidelined NGOs.
Under the agreement, the US will provide $1.6 billion over five years to Kenya to work on health issues including combating HIV/AIDS and malaria and preventing polio.
Kenya must contribute an additional $850 million and gradually take on more responsibility.
But the deal has been challenged by a Kenyan senator in court, who cites multiple constitutional violations.
