A new Australian-backed programme will support Fiji and neighbouring Pacific nations to strengthen HIV prevention, testing, treatment and community-led care.
The 30-month Australian Support for Pacific HIV Action (ASPHA) programme is funded by the Australian Government and will initially focus on Fiji, where new HIV infections have risen sharply.
New infections in Fiji increased tenfold between 2014 and 2024, while diagnoses tripled between 2023 and 2024. The Fijian Government declared a national HIV outbreak in January 2025 in response.
The programme brings together Health Equity Matters, ASHM Health and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working alongside Pacific governments and community organisations.
Health Equity Matters will focus on strengthening community-led HIV prevention, peer-led testing, treatment and care, partnering with organisations representing LGBTQIA+ communities, women and other groups disproportionately affected by HIV.
ASHM Health will provide clinical and scientific expertise, while UNDP will work to strengthen access to medicines, testing supplies and treatment equipment.
Health Equity Matters CEO Dash Heath-Paynter said putting Pacific communities at the centre of the response will be critical.
“Containing the Pacific HIV epidemic demands strong and sustainable community organisations working alongside governments and health services,” he said.
“The programme will fund and support Pacific organisations to expand peer-led prevention, testing, treatment and care.”
The initiative will particularly support communities most affected by HIV, including LGBTQIA+ people, while also strengthening responses for women, young people, people in correctional settings and others who face barriers to healthcare.
Community-led approaches have long played an important role in effective HIV responses, particularly in reaching people who may experience stigma or discrimination when accessing mainstream health services.
The $8 million initiative forms part of a wider $48 million Australian Government package supporting HIV prevention and treatment in the Pacific.
While the initial work will concentrate on Fiji, ASPHA will also encourage collaboration, knowledge-sharing and peer learning across Pacific nations.
For LGBTQIA+ communities across Oceania, the initiative comes at an important time. Tackling HIV effectively requires not only access to testing, prevention and treatment, but services that are accessible, culturally appropriate and free from stigma.
