Health Department urged to ensure accountability in anti-HIV drug rollout

The Forum for South Africa (FOSA) is calling for transparency from the Department of Health in the procurement and roll-out of the anti-HIV injection, Lenacapavir.

This comes after nearly 40,000 doses of Lenacapavir arrived in the country last week.

Commonly known as Lena, the injection is administered to HIV-negative individuals twice a year to prevent infection.

FOSA said it acknowledged the injection as a potential breakthrough in HIV prevention.

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However, the organisation said the process needed to be handled properly because South Africans could not afford another public health failure.

The organisation's leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, cautioned that there must be accountability for the rollout.

“We further caution that if this roll-out is another failed or compromised scheme, then those responsible must be held fully accountable without exception. This is not a public relations exercise. It is a matter of human lives. FOSA will monitor this process closely and will not hesitate to expose any irregularities,” said Mashilompane