The Pan American Health Organization announced on September 15, 2026, a new mechanism to expand access to lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable option for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, in Latin America and the Caribbean. Under an agreement with Gilead Sciences, 14 countries will be able to procure the medicine through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, subject to each country’s regulatory and public health procedures.
The initiative includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The announcement creates a regional procurement pathway, but it does not mean that lenacapavir will become immediately available to patients across all participating countries.
What the PAHO agreement means
According to the Pan American Health Organization, national authorities will still need to address regulatory approvals, procurement decisions and the integration of the medicine into existing HIV prevention programs. Each country will determine how the treatment is authorized, purchased, distributed and incorporated into public health services.
PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds are intended to support coordinated access to health products by allowing participating countries to use a collective procurement mechanism. In the case of lenacapavir, the arrangement may give governments an additional route to obtain a new HIV prevention tool, while leaving implementation decisions to national health systems.
For Brazil, the agreement is relevant because the country is one of the 14 covered by the initiative. However, PAHO’s announcement should not be interpreted as an immediate nationwide rollout. Availability in Brazil will depend on the regulatory and programmatic steps established by the country’s authorities.
How lenacapavir is used for HIV prevention
Lenacapavir is administered twice a year as an injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis. This schedule offers an alternative to prevention regimens that require daily or more frequent medication use, potentially addressing adherence challenges faced by some people at risk of HIV infection.
The treatment is an additional prevention option. It is not a cure for HIV and should not be described as a vaccine or as an automatic replacement for existing prevention strategies. Its use will require appropriate testing and clinical procedures, as well as a broader prevention framework organized by health services.
The regional need remains significant. PAHO said approximately 140,000 new HIV infections occur annually in Latin America and the Caribbean, underscoring the importance of expanding the range of prevention tools available to communities across the region.
WHO recommendation and implementation requirements
In July 2025, the World Health Organization recommended injectable lenacapavir as an additional HIV prevention option. The recommendation followed clinical trials that showed very high effectiveness in preventing HIV infection.
WHO guidance also emphasizes testing and implementation strategies for the safe delivery of long-acting injectable PrEP. That means the availability of the medicine alone will not determine its public health impact. Countries will also need services capable of identifying eligibility, conducting the required testing and maintaining follow-up for people receiving the injections.
The organization’s guidance, titled Guidelines on lenacapavir for HIV prevention and testing strategies for long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, provides the framework for countries considering how to introduce the option into national HIV programs.
Why access may vary across Latin America
The PAHO announcement connects scientific innovation with questions of financing, regulation, supply and public health capacity. Although the agreement covers 14 countries, the pace and scale of access may differ according to national decisions and the readiness of local health systems.
In a report published on September 16, 2026, Agência Brasil summarized the regional initiative and its potential reach. The report reinforces the distinction between establishing a procurement mechanism and delivering the medicine directly to patients.
For governments, the next steps involve determining whether and how lenacapavir fits into existing HIV prevention policies. For patients and communities, the practical impact will depend on national approval, public health planning and the capacity to offer the treatment through accessible services.
The new pathway therefore marks a regional development in HIV prevention, particularly for Brazil and other major countries in the Western Hemisphere. Its significance will ultimately be measured not only by the agreement itself, but by whether countries can translate the international recommendation into safe and effective access within their health systems.
