Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is the latest addition to efforts to expand combination prevention options for people at high risk of HIV infection. The number and scope of PrEP activities is increasing globally, while the scale and coverage outside the United States of America remain limited. In October 2016 an estimated 100 000 people were enrolled on PrEP, the majority of whom were in the United States. A significant but unquantifiable number of people are accessing PrEP through less regulated means, for example via the internet. The rapid establishment of government-regulated programmes will improve the monitoring and evaluation of PrEP’s use and its impact on the epidemic. Considerable additional effort will be needed to attain the new global target of reaching three million people at substantial risk of HIV infection with PrEP by 2020.
