Providing adequate coverage of HIV prevention commodities and services to higher risk populations is a critical component of an effective response to the HIV epidemic in India. To progress this goal, The Fenway Institute has partnered with the Johns Hopkins University to support the roll-out of PrEP in the public and private sector in India through an initiative called Program ACCELERATE, supported by USAID. The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute has developed an online training course on PrEP, called “PrEP for HIV,” which was launched through ACCELERATE on December 16, 2020. Dr. Kevin Ard, Medical Director of the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, was the lead developer of this curriculum.
“The Division of Education and Training at The Fenway Institute is thrilled to partner with USAID and ACCELERATE to develop and launch this online PrEP training curriculum for providers in India, as a key component of controlling and ending India’s HIV epidemic,” said Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH, Director of Education and Training Programs at The Fenway Institute.
The PrEP for HIV training course covers how to prescribe and monitor PrEP, as well as the latest evidence on PrEP and HIV epidemiology in India, to help providers confidently incorporate PrEP as part of their practice. The training also works to increase knowledge and awareness about sexual and gender minority populations in India, incorporating how to approach care in a welcoming way for higher risk groups.
“The course is very concise and comprehensive with well-structured, engaging modules which give an easy understanding on the technical background of PrEP. The videos are relatable and very simple to understand,” said Neha Garg, Technical Specialist, ACCELERATE.
Course content is organized into 5 interactive learning modules featuring video demonstrations of supportive patient-provider interactions. Although the course was designed for healthcare providers in India, anyone is welcome to complete this free training course on PrEP (www.accelerate-prep.com).
“When you invest in something, it’s worth more than you think,” said Simran Bharucha, Director of Transgender Health, ACCELERATE. “A wise person has said ‘the grass is greener where you water it.’ It’s time to ACCELERATE your knowledge about PrEP – are you ready?”
Promo video can be downloaded from Dropbox here: PrEP course promo video.