National HIV prevention programs are accelerating progress towards reaching epidemic response goals thanks to multiple new biomedical HIV prevention products that are on the horizon. These products include new pre-exposure prophylaxis methods, such as long-acting injectable cabotegravir. With support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the RISE (Reaching Impact, Saturation, and Epidemic Control) project launched a global training resource, the RISE “Provider training toolkit on use of long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP),” to help ministries of health in PEPFAR-supported countries quickly introduce and scale up this critically important new prevention option.
The toolkit, launched in 2023, contains digital lessons, classroom-based resources for in-person training, and resources and guides for a blended-learning approach for those who wish to use a combination of virtual and in-person instruction. The training is also available for continuing professional development credit through the World Continuing Education Alliance.
Over the past two years, RISE has disseminated the toolkit at conferences, meetings, and, most notably, three regional, intensive training-of-trainers (ToT) workshops. The three regional ToTs (held in Cape Town, South Africa; Lusaka, Zambia; and Gaborone, Botswana) brought together ministries of health and representatives from PEPFAR, USAID, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Defense, and implementing partners from 16 African countries. The trainings served as launch pads for more than 120 participants, including 29 Ministry of Health representatives, to become expert CAB-LA trainers and to lead the introduction of CAB-LA and PrEP choice in their home countries.
In September, RISE was privileged to build on this momentum and shared the CAB-LA training toolkit at the Africa Regional PrEP Learning Network Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted by USAID’s MOSAIC project in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the four-day workshop brought together policymakers, implementing partners, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders advancing PrEP choice in Africa. During the workshop, RISE partnered with Ministry of Health representatives from Lesotho and Namibia to co-facilitate a half-day orientation on the CAB-LA training toolkit and to foster discussions and country-to-country sharing on training approaches, curriculum adaptation, and learning
The facilitators led sessions on CAB-LA basics and research evidence, CAB-LA eligibility assessment, and assessing and managing side effects and adverse reactions. They also leveraged their experience as policymakers and seasoned trainers to share critically important insights from CAB-LA introduction efforts in their region.
As countries are gaining experience with CAB-LA training and introduction, and as the global HIV prevention community prepares for additional PrEP methods coming to market, including long-acting injectable lenacapavir, RISE is continuing to help foster shared learning and regional leadership to build momentum for PrEP choice in the Africa region. Opportunities like the RISE regional CAB-LA ToTs and the Africa Regional PrEP Learning Network Meeting are helping to disseminate training resources, experiences, and insights from across the region and ensuring that training resources meet the needs of national PrEP programs.
Additionally, RISE is partnering with WHO to develop an updated, comprehensive PrEP training curriculum based on the 2024 provider module for WHO’s implementation tool for PrEP. The course is designed to be adaptable to efficiently add new methods as they become available for rapid dissemination of training to PrEP providers globally. The momentum is undeniable. With RISE’s ongoing support, African countries are building resilient health systems and offering a wider range of HIV prevention options, bringing us closer to a future where HIV transmission is significantly reduced, if not eradicated.
Kate Brickson is the RISE Global Senior Program Manager and Katie Journeay is the RISE Global Project Officer.
