NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Officials say Kenya is the first country in Africa to introduce a generic version of the current drug of choice for people living with HIV.

Kenya's government and the global health initiative Unitaid announced Wednesday that the East African nation will make the generic version of dolutegravir available for routine use. They say Nigeria and Uganda will introduce the drug later this year.

Kenya's health ministry says it will give the drug initially to 27,000 people living with HIV who can't tolerate the current drug of choice used in the country, efavirenz. The plan is to make the drug available nationwide later this year.

An estimated 1.5 million people in Kenya are living with HIV.