The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) in a official statement, endorses the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation that Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) be offered to all population groups at substantial risk of becoming infected with HIV in order to prevent the acquisition of HIV.
The WHO defines oral Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of HIV infection as the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs by people who do not have HIV infection in order to prevent the acquisition of HIV.
PrEP is considered a key prevention modality and should be an additional prevention choice in a comprehensive package of services that also includes HIV testing, screening and management of sexually transmitted infections, counselling, male and female condoms, lubricants, ARV treatment for partners with HIV infection, voluntary medical male circumcision and harm reduction interventions for people who use drugs.
PANCAP has defined as a key strategy within Strategic Priority Area 4 of the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS (CRSF) 2019-2025, “Implement targeted policies and strategies to deliver high impact interventions such as PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis), PrEP, HIV self-testing, index testing, STI and viral hepatitis prevention and diagnosis within a HIV combination prevention approach.”
This Framework was endorsed by Ministers of Health at the 37th Meeting of the Council of Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Health, which was held Sept. 27-28, 2019 in Washington, D.C., USA. COHSOD encouraged member states to align their National Strategic Plans to this framework and support its implementation.
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