On 19 June 2026, the Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU), with support from HEPS Uganda, convened a Media Science Café at Oxford Hotel in Mbarara City. The half-day engagement brought together journalists from print, radio, television, and online media across the Ankole Sub-region to strengthen their understanding of Lenacapavir (LEN), Uganda’s newest long-acting HIV prevention option.
The café, coordinated by Annita Matsika, aimed to equip journalists with accurate, evidence-based information on the access, affordability, and rollout of Lenacapavir to support informed reporting on HIV prevention.
Presenters
The session featured presentations from:
- Dorcus Twinabeitu – HIV/AIDS Focal Person, Mbarara City
- Mathias Kutamba Junior – Head of the HIV/TB Unit, Holy Innocents Hospital
- Nakabugo Rose – Village Health Team member and representative of sex workers in Lyantonde District
Key Discussion Points
The presenters provided an overview of Uganda’s HIV prevention strategy and the introduction of Lenacapavir as a long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option administered once every six months. Journalists learned how Lenacapavir complements existing HIV prevention methods, including oral PrEP, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), condom use, and other biomedical interventions.
Participants were informed that Uganda received its first shipment of Lenacapavir in early 2026 and that the medicine is being rolled out in selected health facilities as part of a phased national introduction. The sessions covered eligibility criteria, effectiveness, benefits, possible side effects, and the importance of continued follow-up for clients receiving the injection.
Dorcus Twinabeitu, the HIV/AIDS focal person, Mbarara City
The presenters emphasized that Lenacapavir is intended for HIV-negative individuals at substantial risk of infection, including adolescents and young people, sex workers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and other priority populations. They also highlighted the need to address misinformation surrounding the new intervention and to ensure communities understand that Lenacapavir complements rather than replaces existing HIV prevention strategies.
Community Perspectives
Nakabugo Rose shared the perspective of sex workers and other key populations, highlighting the strong demand for Lenacapavir among communities at increased risk of HIV infection. She noted that while the introduction of the injectable has been welcomed, limited availability, inadequate counselling, and low awareness remain challenges to uptake.
Nakabugo Rose, VHT Lyantonde, Sex Worker
She called for increased community engagement, improved counselling, expanded supplies, and greater involvement of peer educators and Village Health Teams to support demand creation, follow-up, and adherence.
She said that when she heard about the new Lenacapavir injection, she and other sex workers were excited, as it would be helpful for both categories of sex workers, especially those under her leadership. “We have two categories of sex workers: those that stand on the road/street sex workers, and the corporate sex workers, who are married but still engage in sex for money.”
She said that in her capacity as a VHT, she has received complaints from women who experienced domestic violence after their husbands found them using PrEP. However, she noted that community dialogues have helped in some cases to resolve misunderstandings.
She said they are ready to use the drug, although it is not yet available in sufficient quantities in health facilities and commended the government for considering the age category of 17 to 25, who are highly active sexually but often underestimate HIV risk – saying ‘that age group of youth believes that because they are young they cannot contract the virus and tend to engage older partners. We encourage them to get Lenacapavir to stay safe.,
She added that the challenge is that most youth do not want counselling but only want the drug.
She called on government to recruit them as peers or VHTs and train them in counselling and outreach, noting that communities trust them and this would help achieve the target of ending AIDS by 2030.
“I want to ask government to consider assigning one focal person to oversee Lenacapavir administration, similar to drug refill systems, so that clients are reminded when their next injection is due and are guided properly.”
She also asked government to increase supply of Lenacapavir in all health facilities, similar to other routine health commodities.
She said some sex workers who received the injection were not adequately counseled on side effects and benefits.
“As a mother, I know that anything introduced into the body causes changes, even pregnancy does. Those who received Lenacapavir were not properly explained to.”
She said most corporate sex workers are married and should be supported to make informed choices, though she noted ongoing moral concerns in communities.
Mathias Kutamba Junior, the clinical head of the TB/HIV department at Holy Innocents Hospital, said that the national target of ending HIV by 2030 or achieving zero new infections is a key government priority, supported through several HIV prevention initiatives.
“We have had methods that started long ago like the ABC approach, then PrEP, later PEP, and now the Lenacapavir injection as the latest initiative,” he said.
He noted that government efforts are particularly focused on high-risk populations, including discordant couples.
“Some of the groups the government is targeting include transgender persons, young adolescents, and young women who are sexually active and ambitious. These are considered a priority,” he added. He further explained that pregnant women who test HIV negative are also prioritized to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
“So when a pregnant mother is given the injection and remains protected, there are minimal chances of the child acquiring HIV from the mother. That is why pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are among those prioritized,” he said.
He also highlighted a key challenge in maternal HIV prevention, noting that some women test negative during their first antenatal visit but later acquire HIV during pregnancy, which can then be transmitted to the baby.
“There are cases where mothers test negative at their first antenatal checkup but become positive during pregnancy and end up affecting their babies. We want to close that gap so that the new generation is born HIV-free,” he said.
Interactive Discussion
Journalists engaged the presenters on several issues, including the availability of Lenacapavir, management of limited supplies, client follow-up after the initial injection, eligibility criteria, and strategies for sustaining adherence. The discussions provided journalists with an opportunity to clarify technical issues and identify evidence-based story angles for public education.
Outcomes
The Media Science Café strengthened journalists’ understanding of Lenacapavir and Uganda’s HIV prevention programme, enabling them to report more accurately on the rollout of the new intervention. Participants established stronger links with district health officials, clinicians, and community representatives who will serve as expert sources for future reporting.
The engagement also highlighted the importance of including community voices in HIV reporting and reinforced the media’s role in addressing misinformation, promoting informed decision-making, and increasing public awareness of HIV prevention options.
Recommendations
Participants recommended:
- Continued media engagement on emerging HIV prevention technologies.
- Increased public awareness on the availability and appropriate use of Lenacapavir.
- Expanded supply of Lenacapavir to meet growing demand among priority populations.
- Stronger community education and counselling to support uptake and adherence.
- Continued collaboration between journalists, health workers, and community representatives to promote accurate reporting on HIV prevention.
