Bangkok, Thailand 25, April 2022 – UNAIDS regional and country teams met with key government partners, civil society and community networks at the Regional DFAT Grant Implementation Meeting to share progress, achievements, opportunities and areas for strengthened collaboration in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

The meeting took place in Bangkok, Thailand, between 21-22 April 2022, and was joined by the government, civil society, communities and country office representatives from Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. 

UNAIDS RST Asia Pacific has developed a programme designed to support the high-level outcomes of the investment by the Global Fund in four countries in Asia and the Pacific, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, between July 2021 and December 2023. This programme is funded by the Government of Australia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through a multi-country grant and aims to strengthen and sustain key population prevention and community leadership in the four countries. The main outputs of the grant contribute to creating:

• More supportive and enabling policy, regulatory and legal environments for HIV prevention and testing programmes
• Greater engagement of CLOs in providing HIV testing, prevention, and onward services, driving demand, and advocating for a diversified range of high-quality and evidence-based services accessible to members of key populations
• Increased range and availability of evidence-informed and responsive HIV testing and prevention services acceptable to members of key populations.

The two-day regional hybrid meeting allowed key partners to strengthen the alignment of planned activities funded under this multi-country grant towards achieving higher-level grant outcomes. Now as we approach the end of the first-year implementation period, the meeting was a platform for reflections and lessons learned to ensure that the country and regional level activities contribute to the broader grant outcomes of strengthening and sustaining key population prevention and community leadership in the four countries and that there are synergies between the various donor investments.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for cross country learning and exchanges.  Some of the critical tangible outcomes of the meeting include developing country plans for accelerated implementation and improved detailed implementation plans that are in sync with the Global Fund and PEPFAR investments in similar work areas. Countries were also able to identify approaches to strengthen the coordination with other funding streams and overcome implementation barriers.