The Afya Academy to train clinicians and community workers on HIV

The Afya Academy, a partnership between the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (Alliance) and Anova Health Institute (Anova), trains clinicians and community activists who work with sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender individuals, and intravenous drug users.

The first three-day training event in Johannesburg drew participants from five African countries and included sessions on rolling out pre-exposure prophylaxis among gay and MSM communities in Africa. The training curriculum was designed to develop participants’ knowledge and skills working with African gay men and other MSM, often in exceptionally hostile and highly prejudiced social and legal environments. The course includes an emphasis on how to reach and engage MSM in all aspects of health care, from ensuring safety, to combination prevention to HIV treatment adherence.

Glenn de Swardt, global programmes manager at Anova, says the Academy is the culmination of three years of research and planning. “We are exceptionally proud that the Academy – the first of its kind on the continent – has been launched and that we are conducting the first training event. This represents a significant development in how we share expertise, latest innovations and best practice regarding the complexities of key populations and their sexual and social health. We look forward to developing the Afya Academy to become a major contributor to addressing HIV and sexual and reproductive health, and extending services to marginalised populations across Africa.”

Gavin Reid, HIV technical lead of key populations from the Alliance, adds, “The Afya Academy builds on our ongoing partnership with Anova which has successfully delivered intensive MSM healthcare training to clinicians and communities to support them to sharpen their focus, increase their reach, and augment their approaches to service delivery in order to improve health outcomes and the dignity of African key populations in all their diversity.”

The Afya Academy will provide regular topical training opportunities, hosted across Africa.

For more information, visit afya4men.info.