PrEParing Asia
International Manager Chris Connelly, Nic Parkhill (ACON) and Ben Bradstreet (WAAC) attended APCOM’s regional dialogue on rolling out PrEP in Asia in late September. 120 community, government, UN and INGO representatives participated in the dialogue in Bangkok.
Chris, Ben and David Bridger (UNAIDS Indonesia) supported the dialogue as the rapporteur team documenting the community, youth and health provider/policy maker streams respectively (pictured).
For more information and pictures from this important and productive event, check out #PrEPARINGASIA.
CAI
The Community Advocacy Initiative project (CAI) in partnership with APCASO came to a close of its current phase under Australian government funding on 30 September.
Final activities included a national CSO-government dialogue meeting on the Chinese funding mechanism for CSO, including presentation of Australian models and the findings from a survey report conducted by the national CAI partner China HIV/AIDS Information Network (CHAIN).
Other activities included a civil society consultation on the Global Fund New Funding Model country dialogue process in Cambodia led by national partner HACC.
A recent evaluation of the CAI program from 2012-2015 identified key lessons from the program on civil society engagement in HIV financing, for incorporation into future program design.
JumpStart - MSM and Transgender Network Capacity Strengthening Initiative
The JumpStart Project in partnership with APCOM has also come to the end of its current phase under Australian government funding.
In the short time it has been operating JumpStart has produced a number of policy and technical briefs, facilitated technical support and capacity assessments to national and regional networks, and facilitated MSM organisations' engagement in Global Fund country dialogue processes.
In July JumpStart released a report on the RapAPP self-assessment process undertaken by eight regional networks, along with info graphics illustrating of the key findings - Read more on our blog …
A recent country visit to Laos by APCOM and AFAO in collaboration with UNAIDS and national partner LaoPHA engaged local MSM and transgender community representatives in discussions around formation of an informal network on HIV, a significant step for greater engagement by these communities in the Laos context.
An evaluation of JumpStart has also been conducted. APCOM will work to mobilise other funding sources to implement JumpStart.
Kapul Champions
In September we welcomed Mactil Bais as Program Manager at our partner Kapul Champions, the national network for men of diverse sexualities and transgender people in PNG.
Recent achievements from Kapul Champions include a submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review for PNG, which focused on human rights and the need to remove sections of the penal code criminalising sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex, and the need for gender recognition for transgender people in PNG.
The submission demonstrates the great progress Kapul Champions has made in its advocacy capacity and role as a national network since its creation in 2012.
Global Fund
AFAO is pleased to have received endorsement from the Global Fund to develop an expression of interest for a regional program on domestic HIV financing into a full concept note.
The program would work in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, to support civil society engagement with governments in seeking increased funding for programming with key affected populations, in particular MSM and transgender people.
AFAO will partner with APCASO and APCOM to implement the two year program if our Concept Note is accepted. Currently the three organisations are conducting a regional dialogue process including country scoping visits to design the program.
