Uganda’s scientific contribution to global HIV prevention has taken a historic leap, thanks in large part to Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa, the principal investigator and national lead behind the Uganda arm of the groundbreaking lenacapavir trial.
As the head of the Ugandan research and trial teams for the PURPOSE 1 study, Dr. Matovu played a key role in testing the efficacy of lenacapavir, a long acting HIV prevention injection that requires just one dose every six months.
The drug, tested among young women and adolescent girls in Uganda and South Africa, is now being hailed as a potential game changer in the fight against HIV, particularly in high burden areas like sub Saharan Africa.
“The data we’ve seen is incredible—zero new infections among those who received lenacapavir,” Dr. Matovu said in an interview.
“This isn’t just science for science’s sake. It’s science for African women, for their futures, and for communities that have carried the weight of HIV for decades.”
Dr. Matovu led a dedicated team of Ugandan scientists and health professionals throughout the clinical trials, which were conducted at the Makerere University, Johns Hopkins University (MUJHU) Research Collaboration site in Kampala.
Under her leadership, Uganda became one of only two African countries selected to participate in the study, cementing the country’s role in global health innovation.
A senior clinical researcher and women’s health advocate, Dr. Matovu has over 20 years of experience in HIV/AIDS research, with a strong focus on female led biomedical prevention strategies. Prior to the lenacapavir trial, she was also involved in research on HIV vaccines and the dapivirine vaginal ring.
Her leadership in the lenacapavir study has not only advanced science but also challenged longstanding perceptions about where cutting-edge health research can happen and who leads it.
With Uganda currently hosting over 1.5 million people living with HIV, and young women still disproportionately affected, the implications of lenacapavir are massive.
Dr. Matovu continues to advocate for equitable access to biomedical innovations and believes that lenacapavir will be made widely available across Uganda and the continent.