By Admore Mbonda in Gwanda
The rollout of a long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug, Lenacapavir, is expected to significantly reduce the high HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women in Matabeleland South, a National AIDS Council (NAC) official has said.
Speaking ahead of next week’s World AIDS Day commemorations in Umzingwane, Matabeleland South Provincial Manager Mngcini Sibanda said stigma surrounding oral PrEP remains one of the biggest barriers to uptake in the province.
“The new biomedical intervention of PrEP injectable will go a long way in addressing those inequalities and vulnerabilities,” he said.
Sibanda noted that many female sex workers and young women currently using oral PrEP hide their tablets from partners and family members due to stigma.
He said the discreet nature of the injectable option is expected to improve uptake and adherence.
“Once given the injection, no one will know the person is on PrEP. It becomes a better option for girls who are HIV-negative,” he said.
Matabeleland South continues to record the highest HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe at 15 percent, far above the national average.
Sibanda said the high prevalence and incidence among adolescent girls and young women remains a major concern, with all seven districts recording rates well above the 9.8 percent national average.
Bulilima currently has the highest HIV incidence among females at 0.38.
“This calls for targeted interventions for women,” he emphasized.
Sibanda also highlighted the province’s efforts to address gender-based violence (GBV), which NAC has identified as a key driver of new HIV infections.
“There is a strong correlation between GBV and HIV infection. Women in abusive relationships struggle to communicate with partners about sexual health, making them more vulnerable,” he said.
In response, NAC has intensified GBV prevention initiatives, engaging traditional leaders through the Not In My Village campaign and strengthening community structures.
“We have activated community-based cadres working in different spaces to campaign against gender-based violence under the jurisdictions of our chiefs,” he added.
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