WHO calls for immediate global rollout of new HIV drug requiring only two injections a year
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the rapid global distribution of lenacapavir (LEN), a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug that requires just two injections annually to provide near-complete protection against HIV and the progression to AIDS.
Lenacapavir, a long-acting antiretroviral alternative to daily pills, was described by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus as “the next best thing” in HIV prevention, particularly in the absence of a vaccine.
Speaking at the 13th International AIDS Society (IAS 2025) Conference on HIV Science in Kigali, Rwanda, Ghebreyesus noted that clinical trials have shown lenacapavir to prevent nearly all HIV infections in high-risk populations.
WHO emphasized the urgency of making the drug widely accessible through pharmacies, clinics, and online health services, especially as global HIV prevention progress has stalled.
To support this effort, WHO also recommended scaling up rapid HIV testing in place of more expensive and complex diagnostic methods.
In 2024, an estimated 1.3 million people were newly infected with HIV, according to WHO. The most affected populations include sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, people who inject drugs, those in prisons, and young people.
While lenacapavir is currently available mostly through clinical trials, WHO is calling on governments, donors, and partners to integrate it into national HIV prevention programs without delay. This recommendation follows the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of lenacapavir in June.
Lenacapavir joins other WHO-endorsed prevention tools such as daily oral PrEP, injectable cabotegravir (every two months), and the dapivirine vaginal ring.
The call for urgent action comes amid significant funding cuts to global HIV/AIDS initiatives, including PEPFAR, the flagship US program launched in 2003.
“We have the tools and the knowledge to end AIDS,” said Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STI Programmes. “What we need now is bold implementation of these recommendations, grounded in equity and powered by communities.”
By the end of 2024, approximately 40.8 million people were living with HIV globally, with 65 percent residing in Africa. That year, around 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes, while 31.6 million were receiving antiretroviral treatment—up from 30.3 million in 2023.
