The Ministry of Health and Social Services has registered lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention medication administered twice a year, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s HIV prevention response. The ministry says the registration was fast-tracked, placing Namibia among the first African countries to approve the next-generation pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option. The ministry says lenacapavir is given as an injectable formulation requiring only two doses per year, compared to oral PrEP regimens that require daily tablet use. According to UNAIDS, about 4 000 adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV every week in 2024, the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.