The PrEP Femmes project promotes access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for women vulnerable to HIV in Morocco and Mauritius, while also encouraging its adoption in other countries in the MENA region and the Indian Ocean.
Context
Despite the introduction of PrEP in 2017 in Morocco and in 2018 in Mauritius, it remains a little-used prevention option among populations with high HIV prevalence, such as sex workers in Morocco, and transgender women, drug users, and partners of drug users in Mauritius. Obstacles to PrEP access, documented during phase 1 of the project, include insufficient promotion, stigmatization, and difficult access to health services. To overcome these barriers and increase uptake of this HIV prevention strategy, phase 2 of the “PrEP Femmes” project envisions innovative formats such as injectable and mobile PrEP. The project also plans to extend this diversified prevention initiative to other countries.
Description
Phase 1 of the PrEP Femmes project aimed to promote the deployment of PrEP in the intervention countries, focusing on sex workers, transgender women, and female partners of injecting drug users. This second phase aims to strengthen and expand community- based PrEP services for women vulnerable to HIV in Morocco and Mauritius, while advocating for the adoption or acceleration of these services in other countries in the MENA and Indian Ocean regions. To achieve this, the project is based on three complementary axes: diversification of PrEP services adapted to the needs of vulnerable women; consolidation of the PrEP intervention environment in the two target countries and in the MENA and Indian Ocean regions; capitalization and dissemination of ALCS and PILS experiences in setting up community PrEP.
Impact
The PrEO Femmes project will consolidate and expand the PrEP service package tailored to the needs of women vulnerable to HIV in Morocco and Mauritius. Additionally, it will disseminate the project’s experiences and support countries in the MENA and Indian Ocean regions in implementing community PrEP.
