The principal investigator of the Lafiya Pharmacy HIV Prevention Study, Prof. Gamji Abu-Ba’are, has urged community pharmacists to play a greater role in HIV prevention in Ghana.
He identified limited awareness and use of prevention services, declining condom use and stigma as some of the challenges undermining efforts to reduce HIV transmission.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting to launch the Lafiya Pharmacy HIV Prevention Study, Prof. Abu-Ba’are said HIV remained concentrated among certain populations, including men who have sex with men, transgender women, people who inject drugs, adolescents and young adults aged between 15 and 24.
he five-year research project aims to expand access to HIV self-testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
It would train pharmacists to counsel clients on HIV self-testing, provide information on PrEP and link those who test positive to confirmatory testing and appropriate care.
Prof. Abu-Ba’are said the initiative was designed to reach people who were reluctant to access HIV prevention services at hospitals and clinics because of stigma, limited awareness and concerns about privacy.
He described community pharmacies as convenient points for reaching such people because they were often their first point of contact for health care.
Pharmacy-based intervention
The research team would adapt two existing interventions: a community-based HIV self-testing intervention previously developed in Ghana and a pharmacy-based approach implemented in the United States.
The interventions would be modified to suit Ghana's healthcare system, community practices and the needs of the target populations.
The evaluation would also examine changes in interest in HIV self-testing and uptake of PrEP over a nine-month follow-up period, as well as participants' knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention.
Support
The National President of the Over-the-Counter Medicine Sellers Association, Alhaji Hassan Carrboo, pledged the association's support for the project and called for adequate training for its members.
He called for membership of the association to be made mandatory for all persons licensed by the Pharmacy Council to operate as over-the-counter medicine sellers.
