SINGAPORE – Action for AIDS Singapore’s (AfA) Mobile Testing Service (MTS) is launching a new mobile clinic, an electric vehicle (EV) van specially fitted to provide accessible HIV testing across Singapore.
The new EV will replace the diesel-powered van that has supported MTS since its launch in 2011. To date, MTS has provided more than 35,000 HIV and STI tests at multiple locations island-wide. Over the past four years, MTS has seen a steady rise in client numbers, reflecting shifting needs and testing behaviours that are reshaping the delivery of community-based services.
AfA has invested in this new electric vehicle to better respond to these evolving needs and further strengthen our outreach efforts. The EV will enable MTS to improve the overall service experience and safety for clients, volunteers, and staff. This upgrade was made possible through support from generous donors.
We are seeking greater collaboration with schools, workplaces, and community partners to bring MTS into their spaces, this will avail the service to reach even more people.
The new MTS van’s livery is adapted from the winner of a design competition held by AfA.
As part of activities marking World AIDS Day 2025, AfA will be offering free HIV testing at both its Anonymous Testing Service and Mobile Testing Service throughout December. We hope to encourage more people to know their status and take proactive steps toward prevention and care.
To further support our mission, we held the LOVE2025 Charity Gala at the Four Seasons Hotel on Friday, 28th November. Attended by 280 guests, the event raised more than $368,000 in support of our vision of achieving zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero discrimination in Singapore.
In keeping with our commitment to improving the lives of people with HIV, AfA conducted a survey on HIV-related stigma and discrimination from March to November 2025. Respondents who were living with HIV reported at least one instance of stigma or discrimination in the past 12 months, with:
- 94.0% reporting at least one instance of internalised stigma (e.g. feeling ashamed, guilty, or having difficulties disclosing their HIV status to others)
- 80.2% reporting at least one instance of anticipated stigma (e.g. choosing not to apply for jobs, attend social gatherings, or isolating from family/friends)
- 61.2% reporting at least one instance of discrimination (e.g. being verbally or physically harassed, losing a job, or being refused a job opportunity)
The most common form of discrimination reported was being rejected for or having a health insurance policy voided.
“With significant biomedical advancements around HIV testing and treatment, it is easy to become complacent about the realities of living with HIV. Without adequate social support or legal protections, many people with HIV in Singapore still experience unacceptably high levels of stigma and discrimination. UNAIDS set the target that less than 10% of people with HIV should experience stigma and discrimination by 2025, and this study reveals how far Singapore must go to achieve that,” said Calvin Tan, who is one of only 6 Singaporeans to have come out publicly as a person living with HIV.
The next phase of the study will involve in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with people with HIV, to identify the core issues that affect their lives and develop strategies to address them.
This study is funded by Gilead Sciences.
(Please refer to Appendix for photographs of the new MTS EV van)
Media Contact:
Ben Leong
Communications Executive
Action for AIDS (AfA) Singapore
ben@afa.org.sg
6254 0212
afa.org.sg
