Training workshop for bloggers, opinion leaders and social workers to increase demand on PrEP in video social networks
Details
Training workshop for bloggers, opinion leaders and social workers to increase demand on PrEP in video social networks
Project Outcomes and Impact Report
Addressing the Challenge
In Ukraine, the free pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program for MSM has significantly expanded, thanks to financial support from the Global Fund and the dedicated efforts of community-based NGOs. As of 2021, 3,000 PrEP courses were available annually, with ALLIANCE.GLOBAL responsible for implementing 1,520 courses across five regions. The remaining courses were distributed through other NGOs across 12 regions of Ukraine.
With the Global Fund’s program aiming to quadruple annual PrEP courses by the end of 2023, the project successfully met the need for enhanced peer-educator training, recruitment of new educators, and engagement of opinion leaders within the MSM community. This contributed to increased awareness and demand for PrEP, particularly among hard-to-reach MSM subgroups.
Implemented Actions and Achievements
To achieve the project’s goals, the following steps were successfully implemented:
- Development of Training Materials: A comprehensive five-day workshop curriculum was created, covering PrEP education, communication strategies, and client motivation techniques.
- Capacity-Building Workshop Execution:A five-day intensive workshop was conducted, featuring expert-led sessions on PrEP, psychological mentoring, and improved communication with AIDS center representatives. The workshop included peer-educators, psychologists, and medical professionals, enhancing collaboration between community workers and healthcare providers.
- Recruitment and Training of Peer-Educators:A national call attracted peer-educators from key regions including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Mariupol, Chernihiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and surrounding areas. Participants were trained in high-quality counseling techniques and client motivation strategies for PrEP uptake.
- Engagement of MSM Opinion Leaders:Influential MSM content creators from TikTok and Instagram were recruited and trained to advocate for PrEP within their networks. These “Community Advocates” played a crucial role in disseminating reliable information and encouraging new MSM individuals to join the PrEP program.
- Sustained Online Awareness and Promotion:Following the workshop, selected peer-educators and opinion leaders received support to create and promote PrEP-related content. A competitive grant supported digital campaigns on TikTok and Instagram, with paid promotions extending outreach for five months post-workshop.
Impact on MSM and Other Key Populations
The project effectively increased awareness and accessibility of PrEP for MSM and cross-groups, including MSM sex workers, MSM injecting drug users, and transgender individuals. Trained peer-educators provided high-quality counseling and social support, improving adherence to PrEP among beneficiaries.
The recruitment of opinion leaders as “Health Ambassadors” further amplified outreach efforts, driving engagement in the MSM community. These influencers successfully expanded the reach of the PrEP program, normalizing its use and reducing HIV transmission risks.
As a result, the intervention strengthened Ukraine’s national PrEP program, ensuring that more MSM and cross-groups accessed essential HIV prevention services. By increasing PrEP coverage, the project contributed to the long-term goal of reducing HIV prevalence among key populations.
The project’s success highlights the importance of sustainable community engagement, peer education, and digital advocacy in expanding public health initiatives. Moving forward, lessons learned from this initiative will inform future efforts to enhance HIV prevention strategies across Ukraine.
The workshop report:
On August 26-30, at the Ukrainian Carpathians held a National Workshop “Increasing the demand to PrEP” for opinion leaders and social workers working in PrEP programs for MSM
On September 30 the five-day workshop in Carpathians: “Increasing the demand to PrEP ” was ended. The workshop was held at Slavsko Town, and more than 30 participants, including trainers, bloggers and opinion leaders, took part in it! The workshop was organized by the financial support of MPact.
The first day of the workshop was traditionally an introductory session where attendees explored current challenges in implementing PrEP and shared their expectations from the workshop. The trainers noted that Ukraine is currently the leader at the PrEP dissemination in Eastern Europe and the leader in the world in the dissemination of the #PrEP program among people who use inject drugs #PWID. In addition to theoretical blocks, the participants took part in practical tasks in groups, modelling, and discussed possibilities to improve the quality of services and to increase their coverage.
The second day started immediately with intensive work. The participants discussed the most popular myths about the PrEP and created a “crisis communication” for when they are confronted with them. They discussed barriers to large-scale PrEP implementation and, at the end, held a brainstorming session together with trainers on marketing campaigns for its widespread implementation in Ukraine.
The third day continued the theme of marketing activities. The coach from the National Network of Paralegals shared his experience of working with a social network #TikTok, and the participants were given a practical task – to create a popular short video about PrEP.
On the fourth day, participants discussed marketing ideas and strategies for PrEP. They summarized the messages that should be disseminated for its wide implementation, created a pool of topics that should be unique, with special attention paid to overly sexualized content. Finally, the organizers invited participants to take part in the development of regional campaigns on PrEP, announced a mini-grant competition for the best concepts, and already prepared short video about PrEP.
The fifth and final day was a day of general conclusions. We spoke about psychological hygiene, revealed themes of psychological burnout, the amplitude of emotions, and why it`s important not to be negative in yourself. Overall, the whole workshop was conducted in an intensive way, and on a 100% positive note. The participants shared their feelings and plans for the future, and we will see the first results of the workshop in September, after the deadline of the contest for the best videos on PrEP!
The program: Програма тренінгу 26-30 серпня_econet_ua