South Africa: How Nurses Are Learning to Administer the New HIV Prevention Injection

What the report says

South Africa’s rollout of lenacapavir, a six-monthly HIV prevention injection, is prompting nurses to adjust their training and clinic routines as the country expands access to new prevention options. In a Spotlight article from AllAfrica published from Cape Town on 23 October 2026, nurses and researchers described how the injection differs from standard practice because of its needle size, thick solution and the need for careful, slow administration.

The report focuses on experience from the Wits RHI Len4PrEP implementation study and from public facilities involved in the national rollout, which began on 5 June 2026 at 360 public health facilities across six provinces. By 8 October, the health department said 76,922 people had started lenacapavir, including 36,733 in Gauteng. Nurses first complete NIMART training and then receive practical instruction on preparation, eligibility, side effects, HIV testing and counselling.

The article says clinics are adapting lenacapavir delivery to fit broader sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning and STI care, so patients can receive multiple services in one visit. It also notes that mobile services are being used to reach young people in their communities. Early findings shared at a Johannesburg HIV clinicians’ conference suggested that convenience and privacy were major reasons many participants chose the injection over daily pills.

The story is significant because South Africa continues to face a high HIV burden, and researchers say wider use of long-acting prevention could help reduce new infections if delivery systems work well in practice.