SOROTI CITY, April, 20, 2026 — As part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening HIV prevention and care, the AIDS Information Centre [AIC] has conducted a targeted training for health workers in Soroti City on Lenacapavir, a new long-acting HIV prevention drug.
Uganda already commenced the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug administered every six months to prevent HIV infection among people at substantial risk.
Speaking during the training at Mongil Hotel in Soroti City on Saturday, Abdallah Ochoggia, the Advocacy and Communications Specialist at AIC Uganda, said that Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Kichinjaji Health Centre III, and Ngora Hospital, all in Teso Subregion, will offer the service in the first round, with 100 doses expected.
Ochoggia said the training is equipping frontline health providers with up-to-date knowledge and skills to expand access to effective HIV prevention services, improve client outcomes, and accelerate progress toward ending HIV as a public health threat.
“We remain dedicated to supporting health systems with evidence-based interventions that respond to the evolving needs of our communities,” Ochoggia mentioned.
Health authorities in Soroti City say the rollout marks a major step forward in strengthening HIV prevention options in Uganda, particularly for populations most at risk.
Dr Alfred Anyonga, the City Health Officer for Soroti City, urged health workers to be ambassadors of change and to inform communities that Lenacapavir is not an HIV vaccine, but a prevention option that suppresses the virus in people living with HIV.
“We are privileged to have one at our facility Kichinjaji health center III but we need to give the right information about the drug,” Anyonga emphasised.
Anyonga emphasised that clear communication on behavioral change and understanding the intervention is key to improving uptake and easing service delivery.
He urged health workers not to focus only on mobile money alerts after the training, but to put the information they have received to effective use, saying it should be readily applied in their work.
Isaac Ekelot, the HIV focal person for Soroti City, said the training has equiped health workers with practical skills and current information to strengthen HIV prevention services. He added that it will improve outreach to high risk populations and support better uptake of new prevention options.
“This training is timely. It gives our health workers the tools and confidence to deliver HIV prevention services more effectively and reach the people who need them most,” Said Ekelot.
He added that key high risk populations have been seeking a more accommodating prevention option with extended intervals between doses.
Uganda’s National Drug Authority [NDA] approved Lenacapavir, a revolutionary twice-yearly injectable PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] for HIV prevention. Manufactured by Gilead Sciences, this long-acting capsid inhibitor demonstrated over 99 percent effectiveness in trials. It is designed for high-risk individuals, marking a major step toward ending AIDS by 2030
The drug is currently available in selected districts across Uganda, including Mukono, Fort Portal, Lira, Mubende, Masaka, Mityana, Kampala and Kasanda, with plans to expand coverage in the coming months.
Gilead Sciences’ Lenacapavir [brand name Sunlenca/Yeytuo] is a breakthrough long-acting injectable HIV-1 prevention [PrEP] and treatment medication, often administered twice yearly. As of April 2026, it is being rolled out in high-burden countries like Uganda and Eswatini with U.S. support, offering 100 percent success rates in trials.
Gilead is also in the process of licensing agreements with six generic manufacturers expected to produce alternative versions by 2027, a move likely to further reduce costs to around US$ 40 per year.
https://thecooperator.news/uganda-rolls-out-hiv-prevention-jab-in-100-health-facilities/
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