Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Camagüey, Dec. 19 – In an event filled with hope and commitment to public health, the Santa Cecilia Convention Center hosted the official launch of the national campaign "Follow Your Rhythm" in the territory, focusing on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). This event marks a milestone in HIV prevention strategies in the province, directing scientific and targeted efforts toward the most vulnerable key populations.
Dr. Carlos Morán Giraldo, General Director of Health in Camagüey, explained during his remarks that “effective action is not only based on scientific knowledge and access to treatments, but on transforming our attitude as a society. We must leave prejudices behind, foster a supportive and non-discriminatory environment, and understand that prevention is a shared responsibility where truthful information and empathy are our most powerful tools.”
In this context, M.Sc. Ana Isabel Abay Márquez, head of the Department of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Unit (Prosalud, for its acronym in Spanish) in the province, highlighted the efficacy of PrEP as a prevention tool when used correctly and consistently.
“It is not a vaccine; it is a medication that, taken daily, reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by over 90%. It is a chemical shield that empowers people,” Abay Márquez emphasized.
Significantly, the launch was led by the true recipients of the campaign: members of key populations, including men who have sex with men and transgender individuals.
The program, which is being implemented gradually in specific clinics, includes not only the dispensing of the medication but also a comprehensive process of counseling, regular HIV testing, and monitoring of side effects.
During the event, it was stressed that this product does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections, so its use should be combined with condoms as part of a combined prevention strategy.
Provincial health authorities present reaffirmed that this initiative falls within the national policy of zero discrimination and equitable access to healthcare.
Dennis Pérez Chacón, a member of the National Coordination Team for the campaign, highlighted the importance of its implementation in Camagüey: “Launching ‘Follow Your Rhythm’ in this province represents a significant step forward in the national HIV response. This initiative reflects our commitment to using all available strategies, with a focus on prevention.”
Pérez Chacón added that among the main actions is the incorporation of an innovative information channel where the users themselves are the protagonists. Through the PrEP Service QR code, users can access dynamic and relatable multimedia content, including motivational text messages, visual postcards, and testimonial videos created by campaign participants.
By sharing real and personalized experiences about the use of this medication, these materials not only inform but also foster identification and trust, transforming communication into a collaborative and human conversation that reinforces the campaign’s central message: adapting prevention to each person’s rhythm of life.
With this action, the province joins efforts to control the HIV epidemic from a modern perspective. The campaign, now in a mass dissemination phase, seeks to debunk myths, promote adherence, and above all, offer a new option for building a safer sexual life, placing science and the community at the center of the solution. (Text and photos: Maykel Torres La Rosa/Radio Cadena Agramonte)
