CAPRISA participates at the UNAIDS-WHO meeting on PrEP
CAPRISA scientist, Dr Pamela Gumbi and a CAPRISA study participant, participated in the UNAIDS - WHO meeting on “Shaping PrEP: Modelling for high burden countries in sub Saharan Africa”, held on 6 – 8 June in Geneva.
The meeting, which examined service delivery models and capacity requirements for integrated PrEP provision, was hosted by Dr Rachel Baggaley Coordinator, (from Key Populations and Prevention, HIV Department, World Health Organization) and Dr Peter Ghys, Director (Strategic Information Department, UNAIDS.
Gumbi’s presentation titled, ‘Social network analysis in generalised epidemics to increase PrEP’s impact’, highlighted the use of networking data to improve the impact of PrEP with reference to the phylogenetics study on the cycle of transmission. In her presentation Gumbi stressed the importance of understanding both the behavioural and biological factors that drive the high rates of HIV infection in adolescent girls and young women.
The participant in the CAPRISA PrEP Demonstration project (CAPRISA 084), shared her personal experience as a PrEP user living with an HIV positive partner and said she felt “empowered” on PrEP as an additional prevention intervention. Gumbi said the meeting took “stock of the types and sources of data available and how to strengthen and develop effective models to meet the needs of programme planners.”