Injectable PrEP drug holds promise but investment in HIV prevention has declined dramatically worldwide Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email New innovations in HIV pre…

Injectable PrEP drug holds promise but investment in HIV prevention has declined dramatically worldwide New innovations in HIV prevention could dramatically reduce the number of new HIV cases around the globe, but US foreign aid cuts will mean that those that most need the new medication will be unable to access it, according to experts at the Aids 2026 Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One year ago, the World Health Organization recommended that governments around the world prioritize expanded access to lenacapavir, an injectable version of the HIV prevention medication PrEP that requires only two injections annually. PrEP, which also comes in the form of daily oral medications and bimonthly injections, is 99% effective in preventing sexually transmitted HIV for people who take it consistently. In its announcement, the WHO noted that access to lenacapavir is limited outside clinical trials. But the organisation recommended that governments around the world prioritise scaling up availability of the injectable medication, because it could be gamechanging for populations that face considerable barriers to access for the medications that are currently available. For people who face poverty or stigma, or who live in rural areas that are far away from healthcare services, accessing a daily pill or an every-other-month injection can be close to impossible. Lenacapavir would provide strong protection against HIV while only requiring patients to access healthcare twice annually. A mathematical modeling study from the WHO and the United Nations estimated that widespread availability of lenacapavir could prevent 41% of new HIV infections in South Africa, Zimbabwe and western Kenya. Notably, when the WHO recommended global investment in lenacapavir for HIV prevention in 2025, the Trump administration was already in the process of dissolving USAID, which provided 73% of donor-funded resources for HIV prevention globally, according to a study in the Lancet Global Health. As of July 2026, multiple reports show that investment in HIV prevention has declined dramatically around the world. “We have these major achievements in prevention. On the other hand, we are facing these major funding cuts that are affecting deeply the delivery not only of these new prevention technologies but also decreasing the number of people engaged in care, engaged in prevention services,” said Beatriz Grinsztejn, president of the International Aids Society, during a press conference at the Aids 2026 Conference. Grinsztejn is also an infectious disease physician and researcher at the HIV prevention organisation Fiocruz in Rio de Janeiro.