WHO Issues New Guidelines for HIV Prevention and Treatment: Embracing Injectable Lenacapavir as a Powerful Tool in the Fight Against AIDS

Strategic Insights -

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines recommending the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention, alongside daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options. LEN, the first twice-yearly injectable PrEP product, offers a highly effective, long-acting alternative that can be administered only twice a year, simplifying HIV prevention and reducing stigma. The guidelines come at a critical moment as HIV prevention efforts stagnate, with 1.3 million new HIV infections occurring in 2024, disproportionately affecting key and priority populations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The WHO has recommended the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) as an additional PrEP option for HIV prevention, offering a highly effective, long-acting alternative to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options.
  • The guidelines aim to expand and diversify HIV prevention by providing people with more options to take control of their health, including those who face challenges with daily adherence, stigma, or access to healthcare.
  • The simplified testing recommendation removes a major barrier to accessing long-acting PrEP, enabling community-based delivery of these tools through pharmacies, clinics, and tele-health.
  • The WHO has recommended a public health approach to HIV testing using HIV rapid tests to support the delivery of long-acting injectable PrEP, including LEN and cabotegravir (CAB-LA).
  • LEN joins other WHO-recommended PrEP options, including daily oral PrEP, injectable cabotegravir, and the dapivirine vaginal ring, as part of a growing arsenal of tools to end the HIV epidemic.
  • The WHO urges governments, donors, and global health partners to begin rolling out LEN immediately as part of national combination HIV prevention programmes, while collecting essential data on uptake, adherence, and real-world impact.
  • The updated guidelines include recommendations for the use of long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) as an alternative switching option for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for adults and adolescents who have achieved full viral suppression on oral ART.
  • The guidelines also recommend integrating HIV services with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as mental health care for depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders into HIV services.

Statistics:

  • 1.3 million new HIV infections occurred in 2024.
  • An estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV by the end of 2024.
  • Approximately 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes globally in 2024.
  • An estimated 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2024, including 120,000 children.
  • 31.6 million people received treatment for HIV in 2024, up from 30.3 million in 2023.

Sources:

  • World Health Organization (WHO) press release, 2025.
  • 13th International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2025) on HIV Science, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
  • Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO's Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on HIV prevention and treatment.