Help those in need to access new effective antiretroviral

Jeffrey Okoro. [Courtesy]

The end of the HIV epidemic has never been closer, yet it still feels distant for many of the world’s most vulnerable. The announcement last month that the drug lenacapavir would be available for just $40 per patient, per year in up to 120 low-and middle-income countries starting in 2027 was promising.

Public health experts see it as “the next best thing” to an HIV vaccine. It’s hard to overstate the potential here. An estimated 44 million people worldwide have died from Aids-related illnesses since the 1980s, with countries like Kenya among the hardest hit.