TRAINING ON PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PrEP) AND PHARMACOVGILANCE TO IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY
Background:
To achieve the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) global 95-95-95 targets the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) recently provided funds to JHPIEGO through the Optimizing Momentum Towards
Sustainable Epidemic Control (OPCON) mechanism to support Key population with
PrEP medications at the JHPIEGO supported health facilities / Drop-in –centers (DICs)
in Sierra Leone.
PrEP is currently available
to high risk groups in Sierra Leone hence closing the gap in the HIV
prevention services that limits efforts towards epidemic control. Pre-exposure
prophylaxis is a high impact HIV intervention in which antiretroviral drugs
(ARVs) are used to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection.
The main objective of the training was to
strengthen the capacities of the implementing drop-in center (DIC) Nurse Counsellors
peer educators peer navigators and healthcare providers on PrEP
This training was
held for over 30 participants at the Wusum hotel Makeni from 27th
-29th July 2022 with one (1) Staff from the Pharmacovigilance and
Clinical Trials Department facilitating the training of participants on pharmacovigilance
of the PrEP regimen (Emtricitabine/ Tenofovir).
Participants were
taken through introduction to pharmacovigilance safety profile of the PrEP
regimen ADR reporting channels and how to fill in the paper based ADR forms as
well the electronic form. Group work and plenary were also conducted including role
plays.
The expected deliverables are capacity
building in pharmacovigilance as well as an increase in reporting of ADRs from
using the PrEP regimen and other antiretrovirals (ARVS)