Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

International cooperation is instrumental in fighting the global HIV/AIDS epidemics. HIV PreExposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce the risk of HIV acquisition in up to 90%, but access to it is limited in many resource-limited settings including Latin America (LA). In LA, only Peru, Brazil and Mexico have initiated studies looking at PrEP implementation. A collaborative team of researchers from Queen's University (Kingston, Canada) Corporacion de Lucha Contra el SIDA, and Universidad Javeriana (Cali, Colombia) seek to conduct situational analysis for future implementation of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Colombia. Colombia has a concentrated HIV epidemics with 15% and 19% of HIV prevalence Men who have sex with Men (MSM), and Transgender women (TGW), respectively. Social unrest in Venezuela has displaced more than one million Venezuelan immigrants to Colombia who live in highly vulnerable conditions and at higher risk of infectious diseases particularly those transmitted sexually, such as HIV. Therefore, this application is requesting funds needed to consult and engage MSM, TTGW, including those who are Venezuelan immigrants who as co-investigators would help generate knowledge on the needs, preferences and possible barriers for implementation of PrEP in Colombia. The current planning grant application will include a meeting to understand the needs of PrEP in communities at risk, and engage them in different phases of the study. The requested funds will complement operational funds already granted from COLCIENCIAS Colombia. By engaging and consulting communities in the implementation of PrEP, this study will help to bring new capabilities to communities in HIV research, and consolidation of a collaborative team.