South Africa: Activists Call for Greater Access to Newly-Launched HIV Prevention Drug By Ed Holt Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.

South Africa: Activists Call for Greater Access to Newly-Launched HIV Prevention Drug By Ed Holt https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/06/south-africa-activists-call-for-greater-access-to-newly-launched-hiv-prevention-drug/ BRATISLAVA, Jun 9 2026 (IPS) - As South Africa officially launches the rollout of a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug, civic groups in the country have slammed the plan, saying it will not reach anywhere near enough people. President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 5 launched the roll-out in South Africa of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug that has been shown to offer almost complete protection against the disease, billing it as a ‘historic event’. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.