Rena Janamnuaysook steps off the Skytrain in Bangkok’s bustling Sukhumvit shopping district. She looks up, filled with a sense of joy as her eye catches an advert just beyond the platform. The advert is promoting the PrEP in the City campaign to raise awareness and increase the uptake of PrEP among Thai transgender women and shows glimpses of the lives of four transgender women as they juggle their busy work schedules, their role as a mother and their relationship with loved ones, all the while taking control of their health with their daily dose of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). For Ms Janamnuaysook, a transgender advocate and Program Manager for Transgender Health at the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI), this first-ever PrEP campaign for transgender women in Thailand signals promise for the country’s HIV response.

“PrEP campaigns of the past were only targeting other key populations, especially men who have sex with men and gay men. Transgender women were left out from PrEP campaigns or public messages,” says Ms Janamnuaysook. 

HIV prevalence among transgender people in Thailand was estimated to be 11% in 2018, with no sign of a decline in the past few years, and the current uptake of PrEP among transgender women is only 7%, making the group a particularly at-risk population. Less than half (42%) of transgender people reported that they are aware of their HIV status, while services catering to their specific needs are limited.

Limited awareness and knowledge about PrEP contribute to the low uptake. The campaign strategy includes reframing the conversation on PrEP use and challenging negative perceptions of PrEP within the transgender population. “For transgender women who know about PrEP already, they still don't want to get it because it has been associated with risky behaviour or negative behaviour. In Thai society, if you use PrEP then you are perceived to have multiple partners, be a sex worker or must have unprotected sex,” says Ms Janamnuaysook.

Ms Note, a client at the Tangerine Clinic, South East Asia’s first transgender-specific sexual health clinic that offers gender-affirming integrated health care and PrEP, among many other health services, speaks of the perception of PrEP, saying, “I had to be cautious so that nobody sees me taking the pills because sometimes people are worried and think that I am sick.” A goal of the campaign is to normalize the use of PrEP and promote continued use, particularly important when evidence suggests that nearly half of transgender women (46%) in Thailand did not return for their one-month visit after starting PrEP.

“The campaign makes taking PrEP seem similar to taking vitamins or supplements for good health. It removes the image that PrEP is suitable for only certain groups, when in fact it can be taken by anybody,” said Ms Note.  

Adverts for the campaign are on billboards across Bangkok, illustrative of the collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the commitment to achieve the city’s Fast-Track Targets. Online, IHRI has enlisted various social media influencers, bloggers and opinion leaders in the transgender community to share information about the campaign.

“I personally feel proud to have participated in this campaign, which makes people see the other sides of us, transgender women, and our potentials,” says Jiratchaya (Mo) Sirimongkolnavin, a model and beauty blogger featured in the campaign, who is a former winner of Miss International Queen, one of the world’s largest transgender beauty pageants. She goes on to explain, “It encourages people to have general conversations about sex and how to protect themselves from HIV infection.”

Promoting positive representations of Thai transgender women is an underlying focus of the campaign. “I think the story in the video will help wider audiences to see the diversity among transgender people that actually exists in today’s society,” said Ms Note. “The fact that transgenders have many occupations and abilities.”

At a launch event for the campaign, Satit Pitutecha, Deputy Minister of Public Health, spoke about the government’s commitment to strengthening the HIV response, stating, “The Ministry of Public Health has committed to working in partnership with communities and civil society to promote access to HIV and other health services for transgender people.”

Ms Janamnuaysook is proud of the buzz that the campaign has catalysed, which has been shared widely in Thailand and in surrounding countries. She hopes that this campaign, with its tailored messaging for transgender women, won’t be the last and believes that it can serve as a model for future campaigns focusing on other key populations.

The PrEP in the City campaign was developed by IHRI and is supported by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the United States Agency for International Development’s LINKAGES Thailand Project, managed by FHI 360 and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Division of AIDS and STIs of the Ministry of Public Health and the UNAIDS Asia–Pacific Office.

TOKYO/GENEVA, 26 November 2020—UNAIDS and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) in Japan are joining forces to end AIDS in Japan. The two organizations today signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the response to HIV and sexually transmitted infections ahead of and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to promote the Fast-Track cities initiative to end AIDS by 2030.

“This new partnership further strengthens the long-standing cooperation between UNAIDS and Japan,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Japan’s strong leadership and commitment to global health, at a time when the world is fighting COVID-19, is highly commendable and we look forward to working together closely on responding to the colliding pandemics of HIV and COVID-19.” 

Japan has been firmly engaged in the global AIDS response for many years. In 2000, Japan introduced infectious diseases on the agenda of the Group of Eight summit in Okinawa, paving the way for the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). Japan remains a strong supporter of the Global Fund and is one its leading donors.

“This partnership will enable communities and health-care providers to work together in the response to HIV, sexually transmitted infections and COVID-19,” said Shinichi Oka, the Director of the AIDS Clinical Center of NCGM.

Through the memorandum of understanding, UNAIDS and NCGM will promote awareness of HIV, including HIV prevention, during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are due to open in Tokyo in July 2021. The games, which usually draw millions of people, were scheduled to take place in 2020 but were postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19.

UNAIDS and NCGM will also be working together to promote the Fast-Track cities initiative, which supports cities and municipalities to take transformative action to ensure equitable access to HIV services and to reduce stigma and discrimination.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

“There were no such diseases back in the day! AIDS came into being only because of college kids like you messing around,” shouted an old man at a group of students who were speaking to people about HIV prevention at China’s West Lake beauty spot. “Behave yourselves! We don't need to listen to your rubbish!”

In 2020, almost three years later, Zhao Honghui, the group leader and a medical student in his third year at Zhejiang University, still remembers every word, but he knew he didn’t do anything wrong. “I wanted to tell the old man that actually new HIV infections among old people are also increasing,” he said. “And that hatred and denial are never the solution to HIV.”

Recently, Mr Zhao had the opportunity to say what he had wanted to say and speak about all the experiences, good and bad, he had as a HIV prevention volunteer, speaking to a live online audience of more than 71 000 people from across China.

He and five other young HIV volunteers joined an online dialogue on youth and HIV organized by UNAIDS and Tencent, a Chinese technology company, one of a series of youth dialogues organized by the United Nations in China and Tencent to mark International Youth Day and the United Nations’ 75th anniversary that enabled Chinese young people to speak their minds about the Sustainable Development Goals.

In China, according to government statistics, new HIV infections among young people aged 15–24 years have been on the rise over the past few years. By inviting young volunteers to share their stories, the UNAIDS dialogue aimed to raise awareness among young people about the risk of HIV infection, tell them how to protect themselves and other people and encourage more young people to engage in HIV prevention work.

Mei Junyan, a second-year student from the South China University of Technology, shared his experience as a peer educator on sexuality education and HIV prevention. Sun Yinghui, from Zhongshan University, told the audience how her medical research team had looked at COVID-19’s impact on people living with HIV and how to help them address the challenges. “I see hope because the dialogue made me realize that I’m not alone in this battle,” said Ms Sun. “It’s an inspirational dialogue for all of us who are devoted to HIV prevention,” said Mr Mei.

They also had good interactions with the guest speakers. UNAIDS China Goodwill Ambassador Huang Xiaoming, an actor, said it was not easy to be a volunteer. The Director of the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, Hao Yang, encouraged all the participants to continue what they are doing. He said peer education is complementary with school education and he encouraged students to do more volunteer work.   

One special guest was Andy Liu (not his real name). He contracted HIV five years ago, when he was 21 years old. Now he has an undetectable viral load after taking and adhering to antiretroviral therapy and has become a volunteer to help other people living with HIV. Unfortunately, however, he felt that had to turn his camera off to hide his identity, as stigma against people living with HIV is still prevalent in China. A touching moment came at the end of the dialogue when Mr Huang told Mr Liu that he hoped that one day he would not be afraid to show his face. He said he believes that day will come soon and he will continue to speak for people living with HIV and to advocate against stigma and discrimination.

Mr Zhao hopes the youth dialogue will become an annual event where young HIV volunteers can exchange ideas. “This dialogue is useful for us to know what other volunteers are doing and to learn from each other. I thank UNAIDS for providing this platform and I hope it can become a regular event,” he said.

Amakobe Sande, the UNAIDS Country Director for China, said that UNAIDS is committed to serving young people, together with the Chinese Government and community-based organization partners. “I hope the young people at today’s dialogue will inspire more people to join our efforts too. Together we can achieve an HIV-free generation. We can end AIDS as a public health threat.”

The Ashodaya pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) demonstration project for female sex workers in south India has shown how PrEP and HIV prevention programmes can be strengthened and their implementation accelerated beyond pilot projects.

While PrEP has been shown to be highly efficacious, with nearly 100% protection if it is taken as directed, delivering a successful PrEP programme is challenging. HIV prevention efforts among sex workers have traditionally focused on condom use, and while a range of successful programmes have contributed towards the decline in new HIV infections in the Asia–Pacific region, sex workers still experience a disproportionate burden of infection. In 2019, 9% of the estimated 300 000 new HIV infections in the Asia–Pacific region were among sex workers and globally the relative risk of HIV infection is 30 times higher among sex workers than among the general population.

PrEP is a relatively recent addition to the range of HV prevention options available. It involves someone who is HIV-negative taking antiretroviral medicines prior to possible exposure to HIV. Although recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for all people at substantial risk of HIV since 2015, PrEP is inaccessible to the majority of key populations, including sex workers, and their partners in the Asia and the Pacific region. There is limited evidence on PrEP use among women, and particularly among female sex workers, in Asia and the Pacific.

The Ashodaya PrEP demonstration project was one of two community-led and community-owned initiatives to provide PrEP to female sex workers supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the other was led by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee Kolkata). Sex workers in India had been concerned by the fact that, although condom use was high, some sex workers still acquired HIV.

“Our project shows that community-led PrEP delivery can be effectively integrated into the existing HIV prevention and care services for sex workers and result in high retention and adherence. Policymakers need to consult with us, listen to us and trust us as we know what works for us and how to make it work. We have an obligation to make PrEP available as an additional prevention tool in a safe and sustainable way and we are advocating for that,” said Bhagya Lakshmi, Secretary of Ashodaya Samithi.

The PrEP demonstration project, which began in April 2016 and ended in January 2018, reported good results. High levels of continuation on PrEP were reported, with 99% of the 647 participants completing the 16 months of follow-up. For women, it is critical to take PrEP daily to maintain protection. Although adherence was only 70% at month three, this increased to 90% at month six and was 98% in the final month of the project. Self-reported adherence was verified in the blood of a subset of participants at months three and six.

The project not only helped to dispel some common fears about PrEP but showed benefits in bridging the prevention gap. Rather than undermining condom use, it remained stable. Condom use was high for occasional clients, at approximately 98%, but lower for repeat clients (87–96%) and regular partners (63%). There were also no increases in symptomatic sexually transmitted infections and no cases of HIV acquisition during the follow-up period.

Several factors contributed to the success of the Ashodaya PrEP project, including:

• Fully integrating PrEP into an existing range of health services, outreach and community mobilization. This approach recognized that PrEP is not just a medicine or a standalone service but is part of a prevention and health package, including sexual and reproductive health services.
• Communities leading the way: planning, implementation and monitoring. 
• Preparing the community and ensuring ongoing engagement. An intensive process of community preparedness and ongoing engagement allowed sex workers to make informed decisions about participation.
• Addressing excluded groups early. Recognizing that many community members would miss out, the community was proactively informed that not all members would be eligible for PrEP under the demonstration project, given the limited places and scope.
• Prioritizing continued engagement over perfect adherence. Drawing on Ashodaya’s existing network of peer outreach workers allowed for individualized adherence support strategies to best meet the needs of PrEP users, both in terms of scaling up support when dips in adherence were observed and through referrals to Ashodaya’s comprehensive package of health and social services beyond PrEP.

“We cannot stop new HIV infections in Asia and the Pacific if we stick to business as usual,” said Eamonn Murphy, Director, UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific. “PrEP answers an unmet need and expands the prevention options for people at substantial risk of HIV. We need to scale up PrEP as an additional effective HIV prevention intervention. The principles of the Ashodaya PrEP demonstration project is a model not only for India but for the entire region. The lessons learned from the project are critical to informing the way forward in the prevention agenda.”

From conceptualization to planning, implementation and monitoring, the Ashodaya PrEP project was a community-led process. In 2018, the pilot project ended and analysis of the results was completed with support from UNAIDS India and WHO. Since then, Ashodaya has trained a cadre of community members as advocates for PrEP in partnership with the All India Network of Sex Workers and with support from AVAC. Ashodaya, with support from UNAIDS, WHO, the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee and the All India Network of Sex Workers, is also continuing to advocate for PrEP with the Indian National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). Ashodaya is also exploring opportunities for community social franchising and marketing of PrEP to further support access. NACO has developed a draft national PrEP policy and guidelines. The community is eagerly waiting for the resumption of PrEP services.

Broderick Mervyn and his colleagues huddled around a computer, curiosity giving way to pride, as they tuned in to the Pacific region’s first-ever virtual concert.

“I’m from Rotuma Island, a lesser known island of Fiji, and when I saw a Rotuman group perform, there was a sense of pride, admiration and patriotism of not only our country but our culture,” said Mr Mervyn, Coordinator and Founder of Ignite4Change, an organization that advocates for political participation by vulnerable groups.

Mr Mervyn’s sentiments were shared by fellow Pacific islanders and diaspora. At a time of isolation, when many are missing their family due to closed borders or feeling alone, listening to songs of hope performed by dozens of notable musicians and emerging, homegrown artists brought reassurance. The concert, Pacific Unite: Saving Lives Together, was organized by the United Nations in collaboration with community partners intent on bringing communities together in the time of COVID-19 in order to foster solidarity, pay tribute to essential workers and encourage everyone to play their part in preventing the spread of the epidemic.

The concert featured supportive messages from leaders and influencers, including Prince Charles, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and showcased the region’s vibrant cultures.

“It was educational just as it was entertaining—we got to see and hear from other Pacific islands,” said Foto Ledua, a station manager of Buzz FM in Vanuatu. “As a whole, it is such a great promotion for the Pacific and showed how diverse our cultures are, how rich our music is and how incredibly talented our people are.”

Ms Ledua spoke about the changes brought by COVID-19, including the economic crisis from decreased tourism and the losses that artists face without live concerts to perform at. She said that, “At a time like this, when people can’t travel out of their countries, or even their cities, having a concert brought into your living room is really uplifting.” The concert was broadcasted on television and radio in 13 Pacific countries, Australia and New Zealand and has reached nearly 75 000 views on the United Nations YouTube and Facebook platforms.

Ms Ledua observed that among those watching the event with her, the concert sparked conversations about the impact of COVID-19, as well as climate change, economic recession and other issues facing the people of the Pacific. Reflecting on the response to COVID-19, she said, “In our diversity, we are the same—we may be from different islands, different countries, but we all face the same problems here in the Pacific. We've been through difficult periods in our history, and we survived. We can get through this if we all work together.”

The Speaker of Parliament of Fiji and UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, expressed a similar view on the need to come together to combat the spread of COVID-19. “There are those with no safety net to fall back on … until we beat COVID-19, and hopefully nurse our economies back to normal, we need to act together to slow the spread of the virus and look after each other,” he said.

As the first virtual concert in the region, Pacific Unite brought the people of the Pacific together, reaffirming their shared culture and resilience, and also highlighted the critical role that UNAIDS can play in coordinating the COVID-19 response. Across countries, UNAIDS country directors have led or supported efforts in ensuring that United Nations staff and their dependents have access to the latest COVID-19 information, treatment, care and support. UNAIDS staff have the specialized experience of responding to health crises and building the capacity of communities to prevent the spread of epidemics. The Pacific is no different, where Renata Ram, the UNAIDS Country Director for Fiji and the Pacific and Chair of the United Nations Communications Group for the Pacific, led the charge to mobilize United Nations agencies and community partners and to guide the planning and execution of the concert.

“I accepted the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s proposal to organize the concert, recognizing that it must be for the Pacific, by the Pacific. The soul of the concert were the stories told by communities on how they are coping in a COVID-19 world. These stories and the concert itself speak to the driving force of UNAIDS—the power of communities,” said Ms Ram.

An isolated region, the Pacific is not always afforded the opportunity to be heard on the global stage. Ms Ram spoke about the impact of the virtual concert, stating, “We have unlocked a new communication tool through which voices from the Pacific can be heard. Too often our voices are drowned out due to our small numbers, too often we have been left behind.”

The Pacific Unite virtual concert reveals new possibilities for connection and action and exemplifies how the United Nations can mobilize with artists, community partners and governments to innovatively face the challenges at present and in the future.

“I cannot provide my family with sufficient food as my earnings have gone down. I feel depressed seeing my family going through economic pain and hunger,” says Kamal Hossain (not his real name), a person who uses drugs who lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere. The impact is especially being felt by people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or marginalized. In Bangladesh, for people who use drugs and who are already struggling with disenfranchisement from the wider community, the hardships they face in making a living and accessing social protection schemes have been exacerbated.

Some of Mr Hossain’s peers worked before the pandemic, but they lost their jobs during the lockdown. Recreation facilities and drop-in-centres where previously they received health and psychosocial support were either closed or only partially operational, and clinical services were disrupted.

To support people who use drugs during the lockdown, UNAIDS made a donation to the Network of People Who Use Drugs (NPUD). With the donation, NPUD provided meals and clothing during the Eid ul-Fitr festival to people who inject drugs and who are living on the street. Food was distributed by members of the local community. For some, this was the only support they had received during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I received only one meal during the lockdown. I did not receive any government support as I do not have a national identity card. I also received a mask and soap from a civil society organization,” said Rafiq Uddin (not his real name), who is homeless and uses drugs in Dhaka.

Community-based organizations are struggling to support the livelihoods of people from the populations most at risk, including people who use drugs.

“Since NPUD is an organization of people who use drugs, we cannot stay away from this crisis. In this time of difficulty, some leaders of NPUD have come forward to help and UNAIDS’ support has made the first step to make a difference,” said Shahed Ibne Obaed, the President of NPUD.

After receiving the donation from UNAIDS, NPUD reached out to other partners, including CARE Bangladesh, Save the Children (Bangladesh), local humanitarian agencies and volunteer organizations, to provide more comprehensive food support.

“I received some cash from a volunteer organization in my locality. Some of my relatives and well-wishers helped me with food. I also tried to do some income-generating work to support my family, but it was not available on a regular basis,” said Mr Hossain, who is a member of Ashakta Punarbashan Sangstha (APOSH), a community-based organization in Dhaka.

NPUD mobilized enough resources from various sources to continue to support people who inject drugs and people living with HIV in the older parts of Dhaka and beyond. Around 1600 people who use drugs have benefited from the initiative. Coordination between NPUD and other community-based organizations helped to identify beneficiaries. Outreach workers from drop-in centres, APOSH, Prochesta, Old Dhaka Plus, Alor Pothe and others helped to distribute food and clothes. Members of community-based organizations offered their homes as places to prepare and pack food.

NPUD procured personal protective equipment for outreach workers and masks and soap for beneficiaries and set up an online group to share updates and pictures and give information about their activities. The whole initiative was fully voluntary. 

“A major concern is the shortage of human and financial resources to support all vulnerable people who use drugs. Wider donor involvement is necessary to generate more funds to support them, especially those who are living on the street, and to ensure sustainability of this initiative,” said Saima Khan, UNAIDS Country Manager in Bangladesh.

As the Japanese Prime Minister steps down, UNAIDS recognizes Shinzo Abe’s contribution to global health, notably to universal health coverage

GENEVA, 1 September 2020—UNAIDS commends Shinzo Abe for his significant contribution to global health during his tenure as Prime Minister of Japan. Japan has been a longstanding partner of UNAIDS and is one of the leading investors in the AIDS response. Under Mr Abe’s leadership, Japan has supported programmes focused on key populations across Asia and has invested in projects such as the Kenya HIV Situation Room, which is using cutting-edge technology to provide high-quality data about Kenya’s HIV epidemic.

Upon Mr Abe’s appointment as Prime Minister in 2012, Japan was already a prominent voice in global health and development, having introduced the issue of infectious diseases to discussions at the Group of Eight Kyushu-Okinawa summit in 2000. Those discussions contributed to the creation of the most important public–private mechanism for financing the AIDS response, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Building on Japan’s engagement in health and development, Mr Abe launched Japan’s Strategy on Global Health Diplomacy in 2013. The strategy focused on promoting universal health coverage and mobilizing Japan’s knowledge and expertise to contribute to realizing a world where everyone has access to basic health-care services at an affordable cost.

It was thanks to the leadership of Angela Merkel and Mr Abe that universal health coverage was on the agenda of the Group of Seven summit in 2016. Japan also hosted the Group of Twenty summit in Osaka in 2019, where the first joint Group of Twenty finance and health ministers meeting was held to discuss sustainable health financing to achieve universal health coverage.

Mr Abe was also a strong voice at TICAD (the Tokyo International Conference of African Development), promoting development, peace and security in Africa through the strengthening of relations in multilateral cooperation, under the principles of African ownership and international partnership.

UNAIDS wishes to thank Mr Abe for his commitment and leadership in global health and development and wishes him good health and the very best for the future.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The National Department of Health has launched the first-ever virtual training for prescribers of antiretroviral therapy in Papua New Guinea. Using Google Classroom, 21 video lectures with a total of more than six hours of content, covering HIV treatment, care and service delivery guidelines, as well as monitoring and evaluation tools, are provided to the learners. The content includes video lectures and associated assessment materials, which have to be completed within seven days after enrolment.

Thirty days since the launch, 105 participants have been successfully enrolled, of whom 70% had been unable to participate in any refresher training for the past three years.   

Google Classroom requires an Internet-ready gadget—a smartphone, a laptop or a tablet— Internet access and a valid email address to be enrolled. Since some antiretroviral therapy prescribers do not have an email address, some local clinics have set up onsite classrooms where multiple trainees can join the online course from one computer, learning as a group.   

The National Department of Health has successfully got support from partners, including UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, USAID, United States Centre for Disease control, World Vision and FHI 360, to cover US$ 15 of Internet access per participant, using cards with a seven-day data plan from a nationwide Internet provider network. 

“Crises can also be opportunities and the impending COVID-19 crisis pressed us to find an innovative solution. The virtual antiretroviral therapy prescribers training shifted the goal posts, showing us that we could respond effectively and offer solutions. I am so proud of the partners that supported us in this and now we also have a more cost-effective way of training across the enormous geographic barriers that we find here in Papua New Guinea,”  said Peniel Boas, Manager, Sexually Transmitted Infection and HIV Programme, National Department of Health.

The participants provided positive feedback on the training. “I really enjoyed learning a lot of new information. I would recommend that any sexually transmitted infection/HIV refresher training be conducted in this manner in the future, to minimize costs and provide this opportunity to health-care workers who otherwise do not have the possibility to attend,” said a nurse from the Leguava Clinic in West New Britain Province.

“The training provides relevant content which is well presented by the facilitators. I enjoyed the quizzes at the end of each presentation. The bonus being that it doesn’t take the worker away from their worksite, it doesn’t incur travel costs and it allows the participants to learn at their own pace. Also, the fact that the facilitators are still available on the platform is a great opportunity for ongoing mentorship,” said a student from the Innanaka Clinic in Hela Province.

The team behind this initiative comprises members of the National HIV Technical Working Group, including the UNAIDS country office, and lecturers, content providers, online class moderators and others. Google Classroom is free for use and all materials are stored in Google Drive using a Google account.

The virtual trainings will be followed by supervisory visits and onsite mentoring to be conducted by the sub-teams of the National HIV Technical Working Group. Due to this successful experience, this format is now being considered for other trainings in Papua New Guinea.

“The quick and strategic action to offer the antiretroviral therapy prescribers training virtually has saved lives here in Papua New Guinea. Without it, we could not have effectively rolled out the new HIV treatments that are combating HIV drug resistance,” said David Bridger, UNAIDS Country Director for Papua New Guinea. 

In Fiji, UNAIDS in collaboration with the Fiji Positive Network and the Rainbow Pride Foundation, has launched a social media campaign showing the similarities of the current COVID-19 pandemic with the ongoing HIV epidemic.  Drawing on the lessons learned from the HIV response, the campaign is urging people to act with kindness, not stigma and discrimination, and respect people living with HIV and affected by COVID-19 everywhere, including on social media. The campaign emphasizes the importance of respecting the right to privacy, ensuring that people’s identities and personal information are not released without their permission. The initiative includes the dissemination of postcards and key messages on social media. 

On an early Fijian morning, Marlene Dutta, coffee cup in hand, is sitting on her back deck surrounded by greenery. Not even the sound of birds in the background can peel her away from her computer screen. She is busy sorting through messages and reviewing the activity on the Facebook page that she created, Barter for Better Fiji, an online community that has revitalized Fiji’s traditional bartering practices and helped communities sustain themselves during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“From the minute myself and the other volunteer administrators of the page wake up, our eyes are on the page”, said Ms Dutta, a business skills development consultant. They are busy monitoring or sharing information from the government about restrictions on items to barter.

In Fiji, where approximately 30% of the country’s gross domestic product comes from tourism, travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have brought about tough times for many.

Reflecting on how she came up with the idea for the Facebook page, Ms Dutta said, “Bartering has always been something that Fijians rely on in their daily lives, amongst their friends, families, amongst communities. We all have a skill, a talent, something that we can grow, a whole host of things stuffed away in our houses. If people could trade items or services to get what they needed, then they may be able to sustain themselves through this time.” From these thoughts, Barter for Better Fiji was born. Ms Dutta is astounded by how popular the page has become. Initially envisioned to only be used by her friends, the page now has a following of more than 180 000 members—a huge amount considering that the country has a population of only around 900 000 people—and thousands of requests for new memberships arrive daily.

Aside from helping members to barter for necessary food or services, or sustaining small businesses by linking them to new suppliers for their trade, the page is also creating a greater sense of community. Members have been able to reconnect with long-lost neighbours, family members and childhood friends. Ms Dutta recounts stories of complete strangers meeting on the page to barter only to find that they are neighbours on the same street or have traditional ties.

“Through the page we hope to foster an economy of kindness. That is behind everything that happens on the page,” explained Ms Dutta. “That in itself has brought this sense of community where people are being purposefully and intentionally kind, compassionate and merciful to each other.”

While the Barter for Better Fiji Facebook page doesn’t specifically target the needs of vulnerable groups or people living with HIV, groups such as the Fiji Network for People Living with HIV, the Rainbow Pride Foundation and the Survival Advocacy Network Fiji have reported that their community members have benefited from the online bartering platform. The page has made bartering the “new normal” for vulnerable groups.

“Whether LGBTQI+ or not, we are all humans at the end of the day, and we need to support each other one way or the other. That’s why I think having such a page is a wonderful initiative,” said one member of the Rainbow Pride Foundation.

Community members have been able to barter items or provide cleaning services in exchange for groceries, while others point to how money saved through bartering has allowed them to venture into other income-generating activities, like backyard vegetable gardens and food stalls. At a time when tourism has seen a decline, some groups, such as sex workers, have found their sources of income vanish.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community members have also faced stigma due to false understandings about how the new coronavirus is spread. Yet members of those groups have proclaimed how the uplifting stories and connections developed among members of the Facebook page have helped them to cope and have positively affected their mental health. It is because of these positive stories, stories of communities coming together to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, that Barter for Better Fiji is interested in expanding the Facebook page to a website and app.

As Fiji grapples with moving beyond the COVID-19 outbreak, Barter for Better Fiji recognizes its important role in what lies ahead, how that it is more than a platform for bartering but also a space to share heart-warming stories of connection that promote an economy of kindness.