The AIDS Solidarity Movement and ACCEPT LGBTI Cyprus welcome the official launch of PrEP clinics in Nicosia and Larnaca General Hospitals. The promotion of PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis) for HIV infection as a more inclusive approach to sexual health and well-being, with a focus on adopting a more positive attitude towards sex, is now a reality in Cyprus. PrEP is a medication that can prevent HIV infection with very high success rates, reaching 99% when taken correctly. It is part of the combination prevention toolkit for HIV, which, together with condoms, lubricants, testing as prevention, antiretroviral treatment, and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), can effectively stop HIV transmission.

PrEP is administered under the supervision of a specialist doctor at the PrEP Clinics of the General Hospitals of Larnaca and Nicosia and is available completely free of charge, without the prerequisite of being registered in the National Health System (GESY). In the second phase, PrEP will be made available through hospitals in all other cities in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, while in the final stage, it will also be available through family/personal doctors and pharmacies throughout Cyprus.

To access PrEP one needs to make an appointment at the following telephone numbers:

• Nicosia: Tel.: (00357) 22 603 550

• Larnaca: Tel. (00357) 24 800 363

The Cyprus PrEP Point is an information and empowerment center run by the community for the community. It is run by the AIDS Solidarity Movement and offers information, guidance, and support regarding PrEP, in a safe and non-judgmental environment. The Center's services are offered for free, with complete anonymity and respect for the privacy and needs of each individual.

• Book an appointment by calling (00357) 9960 7005.

Community organisations began advocating for official access to PrEP in 2018, and worked with persistence, facilitating synergies to ensure that PrEP is provided free of charge to all individuals, without exclusion criteria. In this effort, they had important supporters and collaborators, including Prof Georgios Nikolopoulos (University of Cyprus), Dr Ioannis Mameletzis (WHO Europe), Dr Georgios Siakallis (HIV Reference Clinic, Cyprus), the international community networks of ILGA Europe, AIDS Action Europe, and the European AIDS Treatment Group, as well as local organizations that have supported the cause over time, such as the Cyprus Family Planning Association, the Cyprus Refugee Council, and Queer Collective Cy.

They would also like to thank the National AIDS Committee, which in October 2024, under the coordination of the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr Elizabeth Constantinou, adopted all of their recommendations regarding the state plan, as well as the honorable Minister of Health, Mr Michael Damianos, who approved the plan as it is currently implemented today.

Finally, they would like to emphasise that the PrEP access national plan, as implemented in the Republic of Cyprus, is a model for other countries, as it provides free access to all interested individuals, without any exclusion criteria, and without the requirement of pre-registration in the General Health System.