HIV prevention injection divides Nigerians as a $40 jab promises six months’ protection but sparks mistrust and mixed reactions

HIV prevention injection has sparked both optimism and suspicion among Nigerians, following reports that a twice-yearly jab could soon be available for as little as $40 (under ₦70,000) per patient annually.

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The drug, lenacapavir, already sold in the United States as Yeztugo at a prohibitive cost of more than $28,000 a year, is now at the centre of a global initiative to make affordable generics.

Indian pharmaceutical giants Hetero Labs and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories are working with the Gates Foundation, Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Wits RHI to roll out cheaper versions across Africa and other resource-limited regions in the coming weeks, according to reports by Reuters and The Guardian UK.

Unlike daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills, lenacapavir requires only two injections a year, with each dose offering six months of protection.

Health experts have described the innovation as “transformational,” particularly for women who struggle with daily adherence or face challenges negotiating condom use.

Former US President Bill Clinton hailed the development as one that could “change lives,” pointing to the dramatic difference in convenience and coverage.

Global health projections suggest that even a modest rollout in high-burden countries could reduce new HIV infections by up to 20 per cent. Yet, the announcement has been met with a wave of scepticism across Nigeria.

In Port Harcourt, Tobe, a fuel attendant who declined to give his full name, expressed doubt. “How can an injection taken only twice yearly replace PrEP taken every day for 365 days? It’s just so hard to believe,” he told reporters.

A student at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, said he preferred to remain on daily PrEP.

On social media, many reacted with mistrust. Instagram user Doantus Godwin wrote, “I don’t want to talk about the effects of the COVID vaccine I took.

My health has become something else since then. I can tell you for free not to ever catch the virus, not to talk about taking that vaccine. Na to kill our fertility rate this man dey find.”

Others warned of falling fertility rates and population control conspiracies allegedly driven by Western interests.

Some argued that traditional methods—abstinence, condoms and antiretroviral therapy—remain sufficient, asking why Nigerians should be “injected with something new.”

Not all responses were negative. A few users praised the initiative as progress. Public health researcher Dr Dan Onwujekwe, formerly of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, dismissed talk of hidden agendas.

“Taking that medication twice a year will clearly improve adherence. A lot of people are worried about taking PrEP for life.

Most people don’t want to be seen with it because they feel stigmatised. Those who can afford it should go for it. This is part of progress.”

Some Nigerians also defended the role of philanthropists backing the initiative. “God bless this man (Bill Gates). Hated by so many for no reason,” wrote Philomena Davies, countering the tide of suspicion.

Also read: Lagos State HIV Summit 2025 to drive national AIDS strategy

As rollout looms, the debate highlights the tension between medical breakthroughs and public mistrust in a country where health innovations are often met with conspiracy theories.