The Federal Government has said Nigeria has received Long-Acting Injectable Lenacapavir for HIV prevention, marking a significant advancement in the country’s efforts to curb new infections.

Dr Adebobola Bashorun, Director and National Coordinator, National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP) of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Bashorun said the injectable drug, known as Lenaca- pavir (LEN), arrived in the country on Tuesday for use as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). He said the development was approved by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate and supported through funding from the Global Fund.

According to Bashorun, the introduction of Lenacapavir expands the range of HIV prevention options available to individuals at risk of infection. He explained that the long-acting injectable option could improve adherence to prevention services com- pared with daily oral PrEP.

“The introduction of Lenacapavir for PrEP marks a significant step toward broadening the range of prevention choices available to individuals at risk of HIV infection. “As a long-acting injectable option, LEN PrEP has the potential to improve ad- herence and expand access to effective HIV prevention services for populations that may face challenges with daily oral prevention options,” he said.

The NASCP coordinator said the arrival of the drug reflected Nigeria’s commitment to adopting innovative and evidence-based interventions to control the HIV epidemic.