EECA region updates: PrEP

The EECA region remains the only one worldwide where HIV cases and AIDS-related deaths continue to rise — making effective prevention tools more urgent than ever.

A breakthrough has been the introduction of long-acting injectable PrEP: cabotegravir is already in use in the region, and lenacapavir is eagerly anticipated – a drug that could truly change the game and provide crucial protection for key populations.

This digest is published by the iSoS project and features both project-related updates and key PrEP news from the EECA region and beyond.

UKRAINE
Ukraine became the first country in the EECA region to introduce long-acting cabotegravir (CAB LA). The country has been successfully continuing the program launched in 2024. The Public Health Center, in collaboration with the Alliance for Public Health, has already provided the service to 205 clients in Kyiv and Lviv, and this month the program expanded to Chernihiv, where already 7 people have received the medication.

The use of CAB LA for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been officially incorporated into the Standards of Medical Care for HIV Infection (Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 916, dated 03.06.2025) and is now recognized as one of the national PrEP options.

“It was important for me to have protection that doesn’t require daily reminders. Getting an injection every two months has made my life much easier,” – CAB LA program client, Kyiv

SERBIA
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been legalized in Serbia and is available to patients by prescription. Doctors provide prescriptions and instructions, after which patients can purchase the medication at pharmacies. Currently, the model is implemented at three sites in Belgrade (CSO DUGA, CSO POTENT, and the Institute of Public Health) as well as in Novi Sad.

At present, 511 patients are actively using PrEP. A client-oriented PrEP guide has been prepared and distributed to support users.

KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia where PrEP is available in pharmacies. Today, PrEP medications can be purchased by prescription in pharmacies in Almaty and Astana.

Negotiations are underway with pharmacy chains to scale the model through public-private partnerships.
In the near future, the service will be provided free of charge to migrants in Almaty.

Global News

Lenacapavir to be available for USD 40 per annual course
The innovative HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, will be available starting in 2027 for only USD 40 per annual course in low- and middle-income countries.

Developed by Gilead Sciences, lenacapavir is administered twice a year and has demonstrated high efficacy, opening new opportunities for HIV prevention. In 2024, Gilead granted licenses to six companies to distribute the drug in 120 countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.



The Global Fund will expand access to lenacapavir for at least 2 million people

In summer 2025, the Global Fund announced a historic agreement with Gilead Sciences to provide access to lenacapavir — a long-acting injectable PrEP — in low- and middle-income countries.

This is a true breakthrough: for the first time, an innovative HIV prevention drug will be available both in high-income and developing countries. The Global Fund plans to reach at least 2 million people with lenacapavir.

High expectations are placed on the drug in the EECA region, as it remains the only region in the world experiencing an increase in new HIV cases and AIDS-related deaths since 2010. Access to lenacapavir in this region promises to be a turning point in stabilizing the epidemic and protecting the lives of millions.

USEFUL RESOURSES 

UPCOMING EVENTS

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