Key facts
- New injectable HIV prevention drug lenacapavir could significantly reduce global cases.
- The WHO recommended prioritizing lenacapavir access globally.
- USAID funding cuts are hindering access to the drug, especially for vulnerable populations.
- Outreach services and harm reduction organizations are also impacted by funding reductions.
- Several Latin American countries are excluded from affordable generic versions of the drug.
Experts at the Aids 2026 Conference in Rio de Janeiro have warned that significant cuts to USAID funding are jeopardizing global access to lenacapavir, a highly effective injectable HIV prevention medication.
The World Health Organization had previously recommended that governments worldwide prioritize the rollout of lenacapavir, which requires only two injections per year. This innovation is seen as particularly crucial for individuals facing barriers such as poverty, stigma, or remote locations, for whom daily pills or bimonthly injections are difficult to maintain.
A modeling study suggested that widespread availability of lenacapavir could prevent up to 41% of new HIV infections in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and western Kenya. However, these advancements are being undermined by substantial funding cuts, particularly the dissolution of USAID, which historically provided a significant portion of global donor-funded HIV prevention resources.
Beatriz Grinsztejn, president of the International Aids Society, highlighted that the funding reductions not only affect medication availability but also the capacity of organizations to reach vulnerable populations, including people who inject drugs. Ailish Brennan of Harm Reduction International noted that outreach workers, vital for building trust and engaging at-risk individuals, have been particularly impacted, leading some organizations to close locations and clients to lose their local points of contact.
Furthermore, even before the recent funding cuts, many Latin American countries were excluded from affordable access agreements for lenacapavir, with Gilead Sciences classifying them as 'upper middle-income' despite their significant role in clinical trials. Experts expressed pessimism about achieving the UNAIDS goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 under the current circumstances.