Ramaphosa announced that South Africa will roll out lenacapavir which is a long-acting PrEP injection given just twice a year, offering powerful protection against HIV transmission during his State of The Nation Address (SONA) held at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday evening.

“In support of our programmes to prevent and ultimately eliminate HIV, we will be undertaking a massive rollout of Lenacapavir, a six-monthly injection that has proven highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV.

“We are also working to end cervical cancer in our country by mobilising society to ensure that every young girl between the ages of 9 and 15 receives the HPV vaccine,” he said

While talking about the HIV six month prevention, Ramaphosa further touched on the NHI.

“As part of preparation for the NHI, we are investing in health facilities, personnel and systems to improve access to quality care.

“We will be undertaking substantial investment in health infrastructure, prioritising the construction and revitalisation of academic hospitals,” President Ramaphosa said.

South Africa’s public healthcare facilities serve more than 80% of the population with only 16% of South Africans making use of private facilities.

“On a recent visit to George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa, I witnessed the dire effects of inadequate health infrastructure.

“Starting with George Mukhari Hospital, we will be working with various public and private financing institutions to finance the building and revitalisation of healthcare facilities,” he said.

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The organization is calling on world leaders to renew their commitment to international support, warning that many countries hardest hit by HIV cannot sustain the response on domestic funding alone. According to UNAIDS, the global effort has suffered its most serious setback in decades, with progress slowing and vulnerabilities widening.

A recent report highlights the need for increased investment in innovative and affordable HIV prevention and treatment. UNAIDS is pushing for faster access to new long-acting medicines such as lenacapavir, aiming to reach 20 million people while lowering treatment costs by allowing more manufacturers to produce at scale.

Today, an estimated 40.8 million people are living with HIV worldwide. In 2024 alone, 1.3 million new infections occurred, yet more than 9 million people still aren’t receiving the treatment they need. The ongoing cuts to international HIV funding in 2025 have worsened an already significant shortfall, hitting vulnerable communities particularly hard.

Women-led HIV organizations have been among the most affected, with more than 60% losing funding or being forced to stop operating altogether. Other essential prevention services are struggling as well—PrEP usage has dropped sharply in several countries, undermining efforts to curb new infections.

The report, titled Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response, details how reduced global support has sent shockwaves through low- and middle-income nations. These disruptions threaten years of hard-fought progress and jeopardize the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.

Forecasts for 2025 show external health assistance could fall by as much as 30–40% compared with 2023. UNAIDS warns that failure to reverse this trend could lead to 3.3 million additional new HIV infections between 2025 and 2030—an outcome that would set the global fight against HIV back by a generation.

On this World AIDS Day, UNAIDS is urging countries, donors, and global partners to recommit to the shared responsibility of protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring that no community is left behind.

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