Overview
- South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia began public administrations, with South Africa delivering initial injections through a Wits University implementation study funded by Unitaid.
- The Wits RHI study plans to enroll 2,000 participants to assess real‑world use, as early recipients reported discreet, twice‑yearly dosing as a key advantage over daily PrEP pills.
- A broader rollout in South Africa is slated to start next year, including an expected 400,000 doses via a Gilead–Global Fund deal, with clinic access targeted from March 2026.
- Gilead committed no‑profit supply for two million people through 2028 as a bridge to licensed generics projected around 2027 at roughly $40 per person per year in more than 100 countries.
- Researchers highlight the >99.9% protective efficacy but say supplying two million people over three years is insufficient, urging scale to about 10 million people annually to meaningfully cut new infections.