South Africa has accepted an offer of just over 29 million about R520 million from the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria to buy the twice-a-year anti-HIV jab, lenacapavir, that research shows could help to end Aids in the country , says health department spokesperson, Foster Mohale.
But theres a snag.
The country isnt getting extra money from the fund to buy the medicine it has to use cash from a grant that it has already been awarded and that was cut by 16 in June. Moreover, the fund, at this stage, wont tell the health department or any of the other eight countries it has selected for early roll-out how much theyre paying lenacapavirs maker, Gilead Sciences , for the product.
Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, the chief executive of the countrys medicine regulator, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, Sahpra , told Bhekisisa it is aiming to have lenacapavir registered in South Africa before the end of the year.
According to the health departments head of procurement, Khadija Jamaloodien, the lenacapavir funds from the Global Fund will become available in October, when the roll-out period of South Africas next grant, known as Grant Cycle 7, kicks in.
