The PANCAP Coordinating Unit and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) have developed a Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) knowledge suite available on the PANCAP website.  The suite comprises digital posters for Social Media, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, including digital brochures, clinical guidelines for PrEP and nPeP, PrEP registry, monitoring tools and capacity-building materials, including training videos.

The resource was developed to support countries in setting up services for PrEP and nPeP with emphasis on key populations.  The package will allow for the standardisation of the services in the Region and data collection to support region-wide analysis for evidence-based decision-making.

Mr Timothy Austin, Senior Project Officer, Communications, PANCAP Coordinating Unit, explained that the IEC materials were developed based on input and feedback from a virtual focus group earlier this year.  The focus group consisted of civil society representatives, key populations, technical staff from the National AIDS Programme Secretariat in Guyana, and technical staff from PANCAP and PAHO.  He highlighted that the social media visuals and digital brochures contain essential PrEP information and detailed explanations on who should use PrEP, its effectiveness and its side effects.

Ms Sandra Jones, Advisor, HIV/STI, TB & Viral Hepatitis, PAHO/WHO – Subregional Program Coordination, Caribbean, emphasised that NAPS and CSOs can utilise the IEC materials to create demand for PrEP.  She explained that the clinical guidelines and other tools would support the delivery of a comprehensive package of services that will facilitate a combination approach to HIV prevention.

Technical guidelines available in the suite also offer comprehensive information on procedures for initiating PrEP (first visit), a checklist for counselling clients and a list of medications that interact with PrEP, among others.

The PrEP Suite forms part of the initiatives under the current Global Fund project, with the technical guidance and support of PAHO.  The overarching goal is to provide the necessary guidance and tools to support countries establishing and strengthening services for key populations.