Nairobi, Kenya, 23 July, 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recommended the use of long-acting injectable Lenacapavir for HIV prevention, marking a significant advancement in the fight to end AIDS. Tiko welcomes this milestone and calls for urgent action to ensure adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) across Africa can access it at no cost and with dignity.
This comes at a critical time, as adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa remain three times more likely than their male peers to acquire HIV. In Eastern and Southern Africa alone, over 3,000 adolescent girls and young women contract HIV every week. In West and Central Africa, where prevention options are even more limited, new infections among young women are on the rise. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for half of all global HIV infections in 2024.
Although countries have pledged to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, progress is under threat. Funding cuts have significantly disrupted the HIV response in low- and middle-income countries, jeopardising decades of hard-won gains.
Lenacapavir, administered twice a year, offers a discreet and effective alternative to daily oral PrEP, addressing long-standing adherence challenges, stigma, and access barriers. This is one of a number of HIV innovations that have been announced recently, offering choice through a range of methods such as injectable and monthly oral options, providing powerful new alternatives for those struggling with inconsistent access to care. Together, these innovations mark a pivotal moment for expanding choice, accessibility, and dignity in HIV prevention and treatment for girls across Africa.
Serah Malaba, Co-CEO Tiko, said, “We must ensure that girls and young women have every HIV prevention and treatment option available, especially when we know that they are most at risk of the ‘Triple Threat ‘ of unintended pregnancy, HIV and gender-based violence in the region. The WHO’s recommendation marks a major breakthrough, clearing the way for countries and global partners to roll out Lenacapavir through existing funding channels, such as the Global Fund and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. But its impact depends on how fast and how far it reaches. Science must meet service. Lenacapavir gives girls a powerful new option for HIV prevention, and its rollout needs to be seamless. Community-driven approaches will be vital in building trust, offering options, and providing access to care across private and public facilities, so that girls can receive the care they need, where and how they want it. Choice saves lives – when services are accessible, trusted, and designed for their realities, girls are more likely to use them and stay protected from HIV. We must make Lenacapavir free, the demand generation and delivery adolescent and youth-friendly, so it becomes not a privilege for the few, but a game-changing tool for every girl who wants it. “
Tiko is committed to ensuring that girls and young women in Africa are aware of and can access injectable PrEP such as Lenacapavir and other prevention options at no cost and without stigma. Of the nine countries highlighted by the Global Fund for rollout, five – Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia – are countries where Tiko is increasing girls’ access to free HIV care in their communities.
Community-based service delivery is crucial for expanding access to healthcare through both public and private health facilities. By leveraging our well-established community networks, Tiko’s Triple Threat model has proven effective in reaching adolescent girls and young women with HIV prevention and treatment care. The Tiko ecosystem is also set up to give girls access to additional integrated services, including family planning, sexual and gender-based violence support and mental health support. Through demand generation, trust-building, and collaboration with local partners, Tiko helps to ensure girls have more choices in how they protect their health.
About Tiko
Tiko strengthens the resilience of girls across Africa by protecting them from the “Triple Threat” of unintended pregnancy, HIV, and sexual and gender-based violence. We connect girls to free health and wellbeing services across health systems through a community-driven and tech-enabled model of care. By removing barriers and acting as their companion, Tiko helps girls to shape their futures, where they can thrive.