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Thembi Xulu, the CEO of South Africa’s National Aids Council, is leading the way for the country to produce the anti-HIV jab, lenacapavir, on home soil. To achieve this, she needs to bring together people and organizations with competing interests, including profit-driven drug makers, the government, and activists.

Xulu is attending the International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro to share South Africa’s plans for local production of lenacapavir amidst a devastating donor funding crisis. She believes local production will help ensure that the region doesn’t face a COVID-19-type situation, where supply chains are disrupted, and access to lifesaving tools is limited.

Xulu’s efforts to get South Africa to produce lenacapavir locally are underway. She has been working with Gilead Sciences, the developer of lenacapavir, to find a way to make the drug available in South Africa. In June, the South African government started offering the jab at some public health clinics, largely paid for with donor funds.

However, Xulu believes that this is not sustainable and that local production is necessary to ensure that the region has access to the drug. She has been working with Gilead to find a developmental model for South Africa, where two or three companies can import the active pharmaceutical ingredient and finish production in the country.

Xulu’s plan to manufacture lenacapavir locally has the support of some communities, but she acknowledges that there are concerns about the injectable form of the drug. She believes that the people who will tell them if lenacapavir is the right tool are not sitting in boardrooms, but in communities, particularly those affected by HIV prevention efforts.

Xulu faces several challenges in her efforts to produce lenacapavir locally. She needs to bring together people and organizations with competing interests and find a way to make the drug available in South Africa. They also need to ensure that the country’s response to HIV is sustainable and that the region is not reliant on donor funding, which would require careful financial planning and management.

They are determined to succeed and to make a difference in the lives of those affected by HIV. Despite these challenges, Xulu remains committed to her goal of producing lenacapavir locally, and they are working tirelessly to achieve it.

Sanac’s efforts are key in this endeavor. The organization is working closely with the government and other stakeholders to ensure that the country’s response to HIV is effective and sustainable.

Xulu’s leadership style has been shaped by her experiences working with HIV ground forces and senior government officials. She is aware that there will be obstacles along the way, but she is determined to succeed and to make a difference.