Expanding PrEP Access: The Role of HIVST in Uptake and Scale-Up - Integrating HIV Self-Testing in the Era of Long-Acting PrEP: Innovations and Future Directions

Dr. Karin Hatzold, MD, MPH, is a seasoned public health physician and Global Lead, Infectious Diseases, at Population Services International (PSI). Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she brings over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, STIs, and reproductive health. Dr. Hatzold has played a key role in advancing global strategies for integrated service delivery, self-care, and person-centered models, particularly in low-resource settings.

Internationally recognized for her pioneering work in HIV self-testing, Dr. Hatzold has led the generation of pivotal implementation science that informed global and national policy change, catalyzing the uptake of self-testing and new diagnostics in over 110 countries. Her leadership in the STAR Initiative, funded by Unitaid, helped establish the global evidence base for HIVST and linkages to prevention and care services, including PrEP.

She has worked extensively with ministries of health, regulatory authorities, WHO, UNAIDS, civil society, and industry to introduce and scale new tools, including through product registration, market shaping, and digital health integration. Her work has increasingly focused on expanding self-testing to other diseases, including Hepatitis C, and introducing long-acting prevention tools like Cabotegravir and Lenacapavir through differentiated delivery models.

Dr. Hatzold has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports and is widely recognized as a global thought leader in the field of infectious disease prevention and delivery innovation. Her career blends clinical training, deep field experience, and policy influence, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to high-quality services for underserved populations.

Dr. Karin Hatzold, MD, MPH, is a seasoned public health physician and Global Lead, Infectious Diseases, at Population Services International (PSI). Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she brings over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, STIs, and reproductive health. Dr. Hatzold has played a key role in advancing global strategies for integrated service delivery, self-care, and person-centered models, particularly in low-resource settings.

Internationally recognized for her pioneering work in HIV self-testing, Dr. Hatzold has led the generation of pivotal implementation science that informed global and national policy change, catalyzing the uptake of self-testing and new diagnostics in over 110 countries. Her leadership in the STAR Initiative, funded by Unitaid, helped establish the global evidence base for HIVST and linkages to prevention and care services, including PrEP.

She has worked extensively with ministries of health, regulatory authorities, WHO, UNAIDS, civil society, and industry to introduce and scale new tools, including through product registration, market shaping, and digital health integration. Her work has increasingly focused on expanding self-testing to other diseases, including Hepatitis C, and introducing long-acting prevention tools like Cabotegravir and Lenacapavir through differentiated delivery models.

Dr. Hatzold has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports and is widely recognized as a global thought leader in the field of infectious disease prevention and delivery innovation. Her career blends clinical training, deep field experience, and policy influence, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to high-quality services for underserved populations.

Dr. Karin Hatzold, MD, MPH, is a seasoned public health physician and Global Lead, Infectious Diseases, at Population Services International (PSI). Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she brings over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, STIs, and reproductive health. Dr. Hatzold has played a key role in advancing global strategies for integrated service delivery, self-care, and person-centered models, particularly in low-resource settings.

Internationally recognized for her pioneering work in HIV self-testing, Dr. Hatzold has led the generation of pivotal implementation science that informed global and national policy change, catalyzing the uptake of self-testing and new diagnostics in over 110 countries. Her leadership in the STAR Initiative, funded by Unitaid, helped establish the global evidence base for HIVST and linkages to prevention and care services, including PrEP.

She has worked extensively with ministries of health, regulatory authorities, WHO, UNAIDS, civil society, and industry to introduce and scale new tools, including through product registration, market shaping, and digital health integration. Her work has increasingly focused on expanding self-testing to other diseases, including Hepatitis C, and introducing long-acting prevention tools like Cabotegravir and Lenacapavir through differentiated delivery models.

Dr. Hatzold has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports and is widely recognized as a global thought leader in the field of infectious disease prevention and delivery innovation. Her career blends clinical training, deep field experience, and policy influence, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to high-quality services for underserved populations.

Dr. Karin Hatzold, MD, MPH, is a seasoned public health physician and Global Lead, Infectious Diseases, at Population Services International (PSI). Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she brings over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, STIs, and reproductive health. Dr. Hatzold has played a key role in advancing global strategies for integrated service delivery, self-care, and person-centered models, particularly in low-resource settings.

Internationally recognized for her pioneering work in HIV self-testing, Dr. Hatzold has led the generation of pivotal implementation science that informed global and national policy change, catalyzing the uptake of self-testing and new diagnostics in over 110 countries. Her leadership in the STAR Initiative, funded by Unitaid, helped establish the global evidence base for HIVST and linkages to prevention and care services, including PrEP.

She has worked extensively with ministries of health, regulatory authorities, WHO, UNAIDS, civil society, and industry to introduce and scale new tools, including through product registration, market shaping, and digital health integration. Her work has increasingly focused on expanding self-testing to other diseases, including Hepatitis C, and introducing long-acting prevention tools like Cabotegravir and Lenacapavir through differentiated delivery models.

Dr. Hatzold has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports and is widely recognized as a global thought leader in the field of infectious disease prevention and delivery innovation. Her career blends clinical training, deep field experience, and policy influence, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to high-quality services for underserved populations.

Dr. Karin Hatzold, MD, MPH, is a seasoned public health physician and Global Lead, Infectious Diseases, at Population Services International (PSI). Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she brings over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, STIs, and reproductive health. Dr. Hatzold has played a key role in advancing global strategies for integrated service delivery, self-care, and person-centered models, particularly in low-resource settings.

Internationally recognized for her pioneering work in HIV self-testing, Dr. Hatzold has led the generation of pivotal implementation science that informed global and national policy change, catalyzing the uptake of self-testing and new diagnostics in over 110 countries. Her leadership in the STAR Initiative, funded by Unitaid, helped establish the global evidence base for HIVST and linkages to prevention and care services, including PrEP.

She has worked extensively with ministries of health, regulatory authorities, WHO, UNAIDS, civil society, and industry to introduce and scale new tools, including through product registration, market shaping, and digital health integration. Her work has increasingly focused on expanding self-testing to other diseases, including Hepatitis C, and introducing long-acting prevention tools like Cabotegravir and Lenacapavir through differentiated delivery models.

Dr. Hatzold has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports and is widely recognized as a global thought leader in the field of infectious disease prevention and delivery innovation. Her career blends clinical training, deep field experience, and policy influence, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to high-quality services for underserved populations.

Dr. Karin Hatzold, MD, MPH, is a seasoned public health physician and Global Lead, Infectious Diseases, at Population Services International (PSI). Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she brings over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, STIs, and reproductive health. Dr. Hatzold has played a key role in advancing global strategies for integrated service delivery, self-care, and person-centered models, particularly in low-resource settings.

Internationally recognized for her pioneering work in HIV self-testing, Dr. Hatzold has led the generation of pivotal implementation science that informed global and national policy change, catalyzing the uptake of self-testing and new diagnostics in over 110 countries. Her leadership in the STAR Initiative, funded by Unitaid, helped establish the global evidence base for HIVST and linkages to prevention and care services, including PrEP.

She has worked extensively with ministries of health, regulatory authorities, WHO, UNAIDS, civil society, and industry to introduce and scale new tools, including through product registration, market shaping, and digital health integration. Her work has increasingly focused on expanding self-testing to other diseases, including Hepatitis C, and introducing long-acting prevention tools like Cabotegravir and Lenacapavir through differentiated delivery models.

Dr. Hatzold has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports and is widely recognized as a global thought leader in the field of infectious disease prevention and delivery innovation. Her career blends clinical training, deep field experience, and policy influence, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to high-quality services for underserved populations.