High Demand Pushes America to Increase Lenacapavir Supply as Eswatini Gets First Shipment

By Michael Gwarisa The Kingdom of Eswatini has received its first shipment of the lifesaving HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, a few months after becoming one of the few  African countries earmarked for the rollout to take delivery. The twice-a-year injectable drug will be introduced under the America First Global Health Strategy, which guides the United States’ global health programming across the continent. Launched in September, the America First Global Health Strategy aims to shift the United States’ global health efforts toward strengthening African health systems and building market-driven partnerships. Under…

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Zimbabwe Among 14 African Nations Facing Alarming Rise in Drug-Resistant Infections

By Staff Reporter  Results from a newly published study highlight the growing spread of drug resistance across 14 African countries, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen laboratory testing, data systems, and health planning to tackle hard-to-treat infections. The study, known as the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP), is the largest of its kind ever conducted in Africa. It was led by a coalition including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), One Health Trust, and other regional partners.…

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Gilead’s Secrecy Over HIV Prevention Shot Sparks Global Outrage

By Staff Reporter  Gilead Sciences has come under fire after announcing a secretive deal to supply its long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir (LEN-LA), to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The agreement—shrouded in indefinite price secrecy—has been widely condemned by civil society organisations, health advocates, and global health experts who warn it undermines transparency, accountability, and equitable access. The Global Fund, financed by public money, has invited nine African countries—South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria—to participate in the agreement. However, the…

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Regional Progress Review Meeting for Scaled Up Peer-Led HIV Service Delivery Model Kicks Off In Zimbabwe

By Michael Gwarisa Thirteen African countries are in Zimbabwe for a three-day consultation meeting to deliberate on the progress and gaps in the scaled-up Zvandiri peer provider model toward ending AIDS in children and adolescents. Zvandiri is implementing the Zvandiri model in Zimbabwe in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC). The program is a comprehensive, peer-led program focused on children, adolescents, and young adults living with HIV aged 0-24. The peers, known as community adolescent treatment supporters (CATS), are people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged 18–24…

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Eswatini Prime Minister dies after contracting COVID-19

Eswatini Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini has died after contracting COVID-19. Dlamini became infected four weeks ago and was brought to a hospital in South Africa. He had announced on November 16 that he had tested positive but that he felt well and was asymptomatic. After being moved to South Africa, his deputy, Themba Masuku said he was “stable” and “responding well to treatment”. The 52-year-old had been Prime Minister since November 2018. Prior to that, he was the CEO of MTN Eswatini and worked in the banking sector for almost two…

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