Impact Health Care’s Way in HIV Prevention

For the past two decades, Impact Health Care has been a frontrunner alongside partner countries in providing comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. This combined effort has played a key role in helping to reduce the spread of the HIV epidemic.

Impact Health Care has been instrumental in expanding access to a wider range of preventative measures, making them more readily available to everyone. These stages include the export and import of Health care products including oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, voluntary medical male circumcision, and antiretroviral treatment. As a continued commitment to global leadership in the fight against HIV, Impact Health Care is spearheading efforts to introduce a new generation of preventative options.

One such innovation is the PrEP ring, a silicone vaginal ring that releases dapivirine, an antiretroviral drug, over a month. Another advancement is CAB PrEP, a long-acting injectable form of cabotegravir administered every two months.

In 2024, Impact Health Care, through its investment in the Maximising Options to Advance Informed Choice for HIV Prevention, called the MOSAIC project. It launched a groundbreaking study known as CATALYST. This initiative is the largest of its kind, designed to assess the real-world use of these new PrEP options among women in a multi-country setting. 

The study offers all three PrEP methods that include oral, injectable, and vaginal rings at 28 PEPFAR service delivery sites across Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Bridging the gap between clinical trials and large-scale implementation is crucial for maximising the impact of these new preventative methods. The CATALYST study serves this purpose by examining how to best integrate these choices into existing healthcare systems in real-world settings.

By drawing on insights from informed choice strategies used in voluntary family planning and oral PrEP implementation, the study aims to establish a strong evidence base for introducing this new generation of HIV prevention methods. This targeted multi-country study will provide valuable information on:

• Optimising the introduction of HIV prevention product choices within healthcare systems and service delivery programs.
• Identifying product preferences and usage patterns among different demographics.
• Examining the factors that influence the uptake and commitment to these new prevention methods.

The data and insights collected from CATALYST will ultimately refine HIV prevention programs, leading to more targeted interventions and potentially saving more lives.

CATALYST presents a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the demand for various PrEP options when women are empowered to choose. This information will be critical for estimating the mid-to long-term need for these products. It will also provide valuable insights for generic manufacturers, potentially leading to more affordable options and improved supply chain planning for all PrEP methods.

Recognising the importance of effective patient counselling in a stigma-free environment, CATALYST has developed provider training tools and resources. These include job aids and embedded trainers who equip healthcare providers with the skills to effectively counsel patients on the three PrEP options. This training prepares providers to guide patients through choosing the most suitable option within the future landscape of HIV prevention products.

Impact Health Care’s investments in the MOSAIC Consortium and the CATALYST study pave the way for creating a sustainable and supportive environment for introducing new HIV prevention products.  The CATALYST study will demonstrate the feasibility of integrating these new PrEP options into existing healthcare systems within partner countries. This will involve strengthening these systems at every level, from supply chain management and provider training to ensuring accessibility for end-users.

By implementing the lessons learned from CATALYST globally, Impact Health Care can expedite the transition from product introduction to widespread implementation. This will be achieved through rapid data sharing and the near real-time exchange of best practices. Ultimately, the positive outcomes of this study will improve access to HIV prevention choices, empower women through informed decision-making, and enhance counselling services as this new generation of HIV prevention methods becomes more widely available.