KAMPALA, Uganda — Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has praised a new global deal that will make the HIV prevention drug lenacapavir affordable for millions of people in developing countries.
The agreement was announced in New York during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting, a two-day summit led by former US President Bill Clinton that brought together world leaders, health experts, and donors to discuss urgent global health issues.
Under the deal, the annual cost of lenacapavir will fall sharply from about Shs102 million (US$28,218) to Shs130,000 (US$40) in 120 low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Aceng, who attended the summit as part of Uganda’s delegation, called the announcement a breakthrough. In a message shared online, she said she was honoured to join President Clinton and other delegates at the event where the new price agreement for lenacapavir was revealed. She noted that the injection, taken twice a year, would now be available to poorer countries at only US$40 annually.
Uganda has already played a key role in the development of the drug. Earlier this year, the country hosted clinical trials of lenacapavir, which showed 100 percent success in preventing HIV infection. Until now, however, its high cost had raised fears that the drug would remain inaccessible to those most at risk.
In June, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima appealed to Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer, to lower the price and expand access. At the time, she said that if the medicine remained unaffordable, it would not make the impact the world expected.
With the new agreement in place, campaigners believe lenacapavir could become a powerful tool in reducing HIV infections, particularly in Africa where the disease still affects millions of people.
