ADPH welcome new report into PrEP
One of the key ways we will achieve the HIV Action Plan’s goal of achieving an 80% reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 is to improve access and delivery of PrEP.
Prof. Jim McManus
ADPH President
Today we have welcomed a new report published today by the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group (EHSHCG).
The report, ‘Increasing Uptake of PrEP’, outlines new insights about the barriers – and opportunities – to increase the uptake of PrEP amongst underserved populations in England, including Sex Workers, Trans and Non-binary people, and Black African Women.
Prof. Jim McManus, ADPH President and a contributor to the HIV National Action Plan, said:
“One of the key ways we will achieve the HIV Action Plan’s goal of achieving an 80% reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 is to improve access and delivery of PrEP. Currently, a significant proportion of eligible people are not coming forward for the treatment, which is one of our most effective tools in transmission prevention.
“The insights from this report will enable Directors of Public Health and their teams to make sure they are tailoring information and prevention initiatives to effectively reach currently underserved groups.”
Sarah Aston, EHSHCG Vice Chair, said:
“We know that there are certain people that would benefit from accessing HIV PrEP yet are not doing so. As a group, we were very keen to collaborate with high level stakeholders and commission an expert organisation to authentically engage with communities to reduce barriers to access. The recommendations in this report can make a huge difference to the approach we take across different geographies and regions and help us ensure that we improve PrEP equity.
We look forward to working with colleagues on the National HIV Implementation Group and PrEP equity sub-group to make these findings a reality.”
Nick Godbehere, Director of Behavioural Insight, Hitch, who helped to compile the report, added:
“This project was not just about data and numbers. By listening to the voices of those currently underserved by PrEP, we unlocked a wealth of insights which shows that increasing PrEP equity can be progressed by understanding target audiences and identifying clear barriers and facilitators from which effective solutions can be built.
“Teamwork and collaboration made this piece of work a success and we would like to thank EHSHCG for trusting us, as well as all of the organisations and participants that kindly contributed towards this research.”
The report was compiled by the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group, a peer network hosted by ADPH and run by commissioners for commissioners for improved population and patient outcomes in sexual health and HIV in England.
Ends
Notes:
- PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) can reduce the chance of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use when taken as prescribed.
- Other contributors to the report came from: