Press Room

Action for AIDS, Singapore presents the 14^th Singapore AIDS Conference (STI and HIV)

The conference also marked the 5^th Anniversary of the Community Blueprint to end HIV-transmission and AIDS in Singapore by 2030

November 30, 2024, SINGAPORE – In partnership with Tan Tock Seng Hospital; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (NUS) and the National Skin Centre, Action for AIDS Singapore organised the 14^th Singapore AIDS Conference earlier today.

The meeting which had as its theme “Communities in Action” was held at the Ng Teng Fong Centre for Healthcare Innovation with Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & Ministry of Health, as the Guest of Honour.

We were also honoured to have three keynote speakers – Dr Otilia Scutelniciuc, Senior Regional Adviser, UNAIDS; Ms Susan Huang, Section Chief, Taiwan CDC and Dr Wong Pui Li, Medical Lecturer, University of Malaya – join the Conference to share their perspectives.

Speaking of the need for more to be done beyond medical interventions, Professor Roy Chan, President of Action for AIDS, Singapore said, “We have the potential to end the HIV epidemic in Singapore by 2030.  However, reducing HIV infections isn’t just about medical interventions; it’s about breaking down stigma, providing affordable and accessible care, and creating a society that values the health and dignity of all its people.”

Speaking to the importance of active community mobilisation to fulfil the objectives of the Community Blueprint, Chronos Kwok, Executive Director of Action for AIDS, Singapore said, “In 2019 we launched the Community Blueprint outlining strategies in HIV prevention and treatment aimed at ending HIV in Singapore by 2030. A lot has happened since then and while some targets were met, uneven progress in diagnosis and stigma highlights the ongoing need for updates in intervention programmes. With this in mind, we embarked on developing a midterm report to the Community Blueprint with input from our community partners providing recommendations on how we can get back on track to ending HIV transmission by 2030.”

Community Blueprint Midterm Update

The Community Blueprint aimed at ending HIV in Singapore by 2030 focuses on key populations – Gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM), at-risk heterosexual men, transgender people, sex workers, and people who use drugs with recommended strategies in HIV prevention and treatment.

The trend of decreasing number of infections is evidence that our prevention, education and treatment programmes are bearing fruit. However, we have found that many still face stigma and discrimination related to HIV and the cost of lifelong HIV treatment remains a major concern. These factors, combined with gaps in education and awareness, results in delayed testing and late diagnosis which are issues we have not been able to resolve.

In order to achieve our goal of ending HIV transmission by 2030, we will require a multi-faceted, collaborative approach. Key recommendations of the midterm update include: (1) Tailoring prevention efforts to suit the different needs of key and hidden populations. (2) Strategies to encourage voluntary testing and expand the HIV prevention toolkit with wider access to PrEP. (3) Creating a health system that supports prevention, treatment, and well-being without fear of HIV related stigma and discrimination.

The Community Blueprint midterm update is available at https://communityblueprint.afa.org.sg

Issued on behalf of Action for AIDS, Singapore