SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s launch of Lenacapavir marks an important moment in the HIV prevention journey. Every new prevention option brings us closer to a future where more people can choose a method that fits their lives, circumstances, and preferences.
As AWPCAB, we welcome this progress.
But a new prevention option does not automatically create choice. Choice only becomes real when people can access it.
For many young people and communities across Africa, geography remains a barrier. The reality is that where someone lives can still determine whether they can benefit from a new prevention tool. When access is concentrated in a few locations, choice becomes limited not by individual preference, but by distance, cost, and opportunity.
Reflecting on the launch, AWPCAB Chair Yvette Raphael welcomed the milestone while highlighting the realities many communities continue to face.
“We cannot celebrate progress while entire provinces remain beyond reach. Access is not real until it is equitable. When people are willing to travel hundreds of kilometres just to access a prevention option, it reminds us that the work is far from over. We cannot afford to leave communities behind again.”
South Africa’s launch is therefore both a milestone and a reminder.
It reminds us that communities helped make innovations like Lenacapavir possible. Communities participated in research, contributed lived experiences, built trust, and helped generate the evidence that brought us to this moment. They should not be the last to benefit from the progress they helped create.
The next phase of this journey must focus on equitable access. We must ensure that young women, young people, and communities across provinces, countries, and regions are not left waiting years for prevention options that already exist.
The Choice Agenda has always been about more than products. It is about ensuring that people have meaningful options, accurate information, and the ability to decide what works for their own lifestyles.
We celebrate South Africa’s leadership and this important step forward. At the same time, we call for continued action to ensure that access expands beyond a few sites, a few provinces, or a few countries.
Prevention choice is not defined by what is available somewhere. It is defined by what is accessible to everyone who needs it.
