Background
On 25 June 2023, ASHM and APCOM Foundation convened a high-level roundtable discussion during the 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Meanjin (Brisbane), Queensland.
The roundtable brought together community, government, and health workers from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand to discuss ways to improve community and health workforce collaborations to eliminate HIV in Asia and the Pacific.
Key Statement
The elimination of HIV in Asia and the Pacific requires community, health workers, governments, policymakers, and funders to work together in a coordinated approach that ensures no one is left behind.
There need to be more effective interventions that place key populations at the centre of health service delivery through strong partnerships between community, health workers, governments, policymakers and funders. Successful examples of community-led services in the Asia and Pacific region show that collaboration between community and health workers can lead to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care that is accessible, person-centred and free from stigma.
We call on governments, policymakers and funders to support the sustainable development and scale-up of community-led health services throughout Asia and the Pacific to eliminate HIV in the region.
Priorities to accelerate community-led health services
- BUILD collaboration between community and health workers to support decentralised, integrated, differentiated and demedicalised HIV services that meet the needs of all members of key populations and their partners.
- ENSURE ongoing and sustainable support for community-led HIV services to provide safe, timely and quality care that is person-centred and free from stigma and discrimination.
- STRENGTHEN capacity within civil society organisations and health workforces to develop and deliver innovative, community-led models of HIV services.
- SUPPORT the scale-up of successful examples of community-led HIV services throughout Asia and the Pacific, and where appropriate, investigate how these examples can be replicated in other settings.
- CREATE spaces for conversations between community, health workers and governments, where knowledge and expertise can be shared, particularly in relation to innovations in HIV services such as long-acting injectable treatment and prevention, U=U (Undetectable=Untransmittable), and self-testing.
- ADDRESS legal and policy barriers that criminalise and discriminate against key populations, preventing them from accessing HIV services.
Download a PDF of the statement
Endorsing organisations
If your organisation wishes to endorse this statement, please contact ASHM Policy and Public Affairs Manager Benjamin Riley at benjamin.riley@ashm.org.au.
About ASHM
ASHM is Australia’s peak body representing the HIV, blood-borne virus (BBV) and sexual and
reproductive health workforce.
About APCOM Foundation
Based in Bangkok, APCOM is a not-for-profit organisation representing and working with a network
of individuals and community-based organisations across 35 countries in Asia and the Pacific.
APCOM has a primary focus on HIV because it is a key health issue for gay men and other men who
have sex with men in the region. APCOM also addresses other related health issues for our
communities such as sexual health, mental health and drug use
