Sri Lanka to introduce twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug in 2027

Sri Lanka plans to introduce a new injectable HIV-prevention drug from the beginning of 2027 as the country seeks to curb a rise in new HIV infections and meet its 2030 elimination target, Dr. Nimali Jayasuriya, Consultant Venereologist at the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP), said on Wednesday.

Jayasuriya said Sri Lanka expects to import injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which would be administered twice a year.

She said the country was working to overcome existing barriers and strengthen prevention efforts as it moves towards the goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

According to figures presented by the NSACP, Sri Lanka recorded 874 new HIV infections in 2025, while another 487 infections were reported during the first six months of 2026.

The programme said the increase in Sri Lanka comes against a broader global decline in new HIV infections, which it said have fallen by about 65 percent since 1994.

Jayasuriya said the introduction of injectable PrEP would form part of efforts to strengthen HIV prevention and reduce new infections in the country.