Africa Heath Research Institute (AHRI), the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), and Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute are excited to announce the enrollment of their first study participants in the groundbreaking MOBILE MEN Programme.
MOBILE MEN is a pioneering initiative aimed at informing the implementation of both oral and long-acting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for mobile men in Sub-Saharan Africa. This innovative study will focus on the “on demand” regimen for oral PrEP and the use of CAB-LA (long-acting injectable PrEP), marking the first male-only study of its kind in the region.
Men who are mobile for work are at high risk for HIV and have traditionally been underrepresented in PrEP trials. This study aims to address this gap by providing critical data on the effectiveness and implementation of PrEP among mobile men in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results of this study will guide the rollout of both oral and injectable PrEP in this population, ultimately contributing to the reduction of HIV incidence in the region.
The MOBILE MEN Programme is the first male-only study of on demand PrEP and CAB-LA in Sub-Saharan Africa and focuses on men who travel for work such as fishermen in Uganda and truck drivers, farm workers, and men seeking employment in South Africa. On demand oral PrEP is an evidence-based strategy approved for men only whereby two oral PrEP pills are taken before potential sexual exposure to HIV, one a day later and one a day after that – the so called 2+1+1 regimen.
The MOBILE MEN programme is a Phase 3b trial where men are randomly assigned to taking either oral PrEP or receiving CAB-LA during a nine-month period. Thereafter, participants have the option to remain on or switch the PrEP product and will be monitored for another nine months. This study, therefore, aims to compare how men adopt (choose and use) oral versus injectable PrEP and to understand the reach and barriers to PrEP.
“By examining adoption patterns, we also aim to evaluate the feasibility and service needs and assess the cost effectiveness of offering both products in the public health sector – providing insights for real-world roll-out. This is especially important given the South African government’s recent announcement about the roll-out of CAB-LA to public health facilities before the end of 2024,” said Professor Maryam Shahmanesh, AHRI’s director for implementation research.
*This project (Grant Agreement No 101103140) is supported by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking and its members. Funded by the European Union under the Global HealthEDCTP3 Joint Undertaking. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking nor its members. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.