Unitaid announced an additional US$15 million investment on 23 July 2026 to accelerate the introduction, adoption and uptake of breakthrough HIV prevention products across diverse regions, according to a press release by Unitaid. The funding builds on its broader US$110 million investment in next-generation HIV prevention. It will expand support to communities and countries introducing long-acting injectable lenacapavir, a breakthrough medicine for preventing HIV. The investment will also help prepare health systems for other anticipated innovations, including a once-monthly oral pill and a new formulation of lenacapavir offering one year of protection. The move responds to growing demand as HIV prevention programs face unprecedented pressure from cuts to global health funding.
The additional funding will extend Unitaid’s support for lenacapavir introduction beyond early adopter countries. New countries across Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia are preparing to roll out the medicine. Over the past year, Unitaid and its partners supported the introduction of lenacapavir in early-adopter countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. They also generated real-world evidence through implementation studies in South Africa and Brazil. A landmark agreement will make injectable lenacapavir available for US$40 per person per year by 2027.
The initiative will be delivered through three complementary Global South-led projects implemented by Wits RHI in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), and the University Teaching Hospital/Ministry of Health Zambia. Wits RHI, working with CHAI, will expand support to new countries within and beyond Sub-Saharan Africa. ITPC will strengthen treatment literacy, improve provider sensitization and conduct demand-generation activities in countries outside Sub-Saharan Africa. The projects address practical barriers to introducing new long-acting HIV prevention options. They also reinforce a sustainable ecosystem for lenacapavir and future pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) innovations.
Alongside today’s rollout, Unitaid is investing early in the next generation of HIV prevention products currently in development. These include monthly oral PrEP and a simplified formulation of lenacapavir that could provide protection for up to one year. The University Teaching Hospital/Ministry of Health Zambia will leverage an innovative hub-and-spoke delivery model to prepare for forthcoming, simpler options. The model currently brings HIV prevention closer to communities through pharmacies, health posts, private clinics and community health workers.
“Scientific breakthroughs only save lives if they reach the people who need them,” said Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director at Unitaid.
Duneton added that the investment aims to help countries move quickly from innovation to impact. By working with countries and communities, Unitaid seeks to ensure long-acting HIV prevention reaches people as rapidly as possible. The strategy combines country introduction, community engagement and real-world implementation with efforts to accelerate access to innovative solutions. It also enables low-cost, quality-assured supplies of lenacapavir and other forthcoming prevention options. The goal is to translate these tools into fewer HIV infections and more lives protected as quickly as possible.
