By Shorai Murwira
THE adoption of Lenacapavir — a twice-yearly, long-acting injectable for HIV prevention — has been described as a significant step toward achieving a world free from new HIV infections, rights groups have said.
Girls’, women’s rights and sex worker–led organisations were reacting to the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe’s (MCAZ) announcement over the weekend that it had fast-tracked the drug’s approval after completing an expedited 23-day review.
Lenacapavir is a next-generation pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option that requires just two injections a year, offering greater convenience and potentially improving adherence among populations at high risk of HIV, including sex workers, adolescent girls and young women.
Springs of Life Zimbabwe (SLZ) programme coordinator Ms Precious Msindo said the approval was encouraging but warned that its success would depend on whether marginalised groups could access it without barriers.
“Lenacapavir can change lives, but only if sex workers and other vulnerable communities are able to access it without discrimination, stigma or prohibitive costs,” she said.
“Approval alone is not victory. What matters is whether every woman, every young person and every sex worker who needs this prevention tool can walk into a clinic and get it safely and respectfully.”
Ms Msindo said sex workers continued to face structural challenges such as police harassment, discrimination within health facilities and the impact of criminalisation — factors that frequently pushed them away from essential services.
Because of these realities, she said, long-acting PrEP could be particularly beneficial for those who struggle with daily oral medication due to mobility, unpredictable working environments or fear of stigma.
She called on the Ministry of Health, MCAZ and international partners to ensure the rollout includes sex worker–friendly service points, peer-led models and non-judgmental healthcare staff trained to support key populations.
“Meaningful community consultation is essential. Sex workers understand their own realities. We must be included in planning, messaging and monitoring the rollout. Nothing about us without us,” she said.
She also emphasised the importance of clear communication on safety requirements, including HIV testing before each dose and continued adherence to safer sex practices.
“Scientific breakthroughs only matter when communities can actually use them.Lenacapavir is a step forward, but its success will depend on whether Zimbabwe’s most marginalised groups are centred — not sidelined,” Msindo said.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana director Ekenia Chifamba said the approval should galvanise broader efforts to address the social and systemic barriers that undermine HIV prevention for girls and young women.
“This development is timely, but we must remember that medical tools work best when paired with the protection of rights. Young women and girls — especially those living on the margins or surviving through sex work — need safe environments, free from violence and stigma, to fully benefit from innovations like Lenacapavir. Access must go hand-in-hand with dignity, safety and empowerment,” Chifamba said. “
