HIVE Supports the Introduction of Lenacapavir in Johannesburg
In June 2026, the HIVE-PATA team worked closely with the Johannesburg Health District to support the rollout of lenacapavir in 10 HIVE-supported facilities. These facilities are part of 60 facilities across Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa where PATA, through HIVE, supports quality improvement activities to strengthen HIV prevention services for pregnant and breastfeeding women. During the South African launch, HIVE worked closely with the district’s health promotion team to provide PrEP education and facilitate community dialogues to introduce communities to lenacapavir, address questions and concerns, and strengthen awareness and demand for HIV prevention options.
Currently, the 10 HIVE-supported facilities provide lenacapavir to 52% of all recipients of care receiving the long-acting option in the Johannesburg Health District.
HIVE will continue to provide technical support, supportive supervision, and advocacy support to strengthen PrEP access and uptake among pregnant and breastfeeding women.
HIVE-Supported Facilities Use Quality Improvement to Strengthen PrEP Services in Nigeria, Mozambique and South Africa
Between April and June 2026, HIVE-PATA convened a second round of quality improvement (QI) learning sessions for teams across supported facilities in South Africa, Nigeria and Mozambique. HIVE-PATA held the first round of learning sessions in October 2025.
The sessions brought together a clinician and a data representative from each facility to review progress on their Quality Improvement Plans, share challenges and successes, and learn from one another. Facility teams also assessed whether to continue refining an existing improvement priority or identify a new area for action. One emerging focus has been the importance of accurate, complete data. Facility teams are increasingly using routine data to identify service delivery gaps, track progress, and inform decisions about where improvements are needed.
Listening to Women: Understanding PrEP Knowledge, Barriers, and Experiences
Since June 2026, HIVE-PATA has been engaging health care providers and pregnant and breastfeeding women across 60 facilities in Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa, where PATA is supporting quality improvement activities through HIVE. Through surveys and focus group discussions, the team is exploring the factors that influence PrEP access and uptake, including women’s knowledge of PrEP, their experiences accessing services, and the questions or concerns that may shape their decisions to start or continue PrEP.
Early discussions point to an important gap: awareness of PrEP does not always translate into a clear understanding of how it works. Many women had heard of PrEP but still had questions about its effectiveness, how it works, and its safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women also valued having a safe space to ask questions and openly share their experiences and concerns.
These conversations are helping HIVE and its partners better understand the information, counseling, and support women need to make informed decisions about HIV prevention. Findings from the surveys and focus group discussions will inform HIVE’s ongoing technical support and demand-creation approaches across the three countries.
HIVE Integrates Prevention into Breastfeeding Week Activities
During August, HIVE-PATA used Breastfeeding Month activities to reinforce HIV prevention messages for pregnant and breastfeeding women across supported facilities in South Africa and Nigeria. Working alongside Ministries of Health, health care providers and community health workers, teams promoted breastfeeding in line with national guidance while creating opportunities to increase awareness of PrEP and other HIV prevention options.
In South Africa, Zwelakhe Dalisiwe Community Health Center, one of the facilities supported through HIVE, hosted the national Breastfeeding Week main event on August 4, 2026. The event provided a platform to engage pregnant and breastfeeding women and communities on HIV prevention, including PrEP.
In Nigeria, Eleen Chinyere Ekanem, MD, HIVE country lead, participated in the national launch of the First 1,000 Days initiative, which promotes maternal, newborn, and child health during pregnancy and the first two years of a child’s life. Her participation provided an opportunity to reinforce the importance of HIV prevention and continued engagement with HIV services during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Across participating HIVE facilities, teams also worked with health care providers and community health workers to reinforce breastfeeding messages and integrate HIV prevention education into their engagement with pregnant and breastfeeding women.
