Speeches
SPEECH BY DR JANIL PUTHUCHEARY, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MDDI & MOH, AT THE 14TH SINGAPORE AIDS CONFERENCE
30 November 2024
Distinguished guests
Colleagues
Ladies and gentlemen
1. Good morning. It is my privilege to join you here today at the 14th Singapore AIDS Conference (SAC). This serves as an important platform to acknowledge the progress we have made in our fight against HIV, to discuss the newest strategies in addressing and combating the virus, and it allows us to reaffirm our dedication to fight this disease and improve the lives of those living with HIV.
2. The theme for SAC this year is “Communities in Action”, which emphasises the collective efforts and unwavering support by our community partners to deliver effective interventions and programmes.
3. Community organisations have been key partners in advocating for and carrying out a robust response to ending HIV. From fighting stigma and discrimination and calling for improved access to treatment, to providing affordable channels to access testing and prevention, and offering support for individuals living and ageing with HIV. Today, I want to take this opportunity to highlight the key roles played by community partners not only in the HIV response but also in the area of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
Role of communities in HIV and STI prevention
4. Communities are at the very centre of the HIV response. Working alongside public health and clinical systems, they play a fundamental role through advocacy. In so doing, they help to raise awareness, they encourage and facilitate early testing, and they contribute to efforts to prevent HIV and STIs.
5. In Singapore, community-led organisations and initiatives have been pivotal in disseminating important information about HIV and STIs, in addressing misconceptions, and advocating for preventive measures, such as condom use and regular testing. They also track what works and what does not, and help us to constantly improve and enhance our approach. This strategy has been effective in reaching and targeting key at-risk populations.
6. There is much to learn from our community response to HIV. The Anonymous Testing Service operated by Action for AIDS (AfA) is an example of a community-led service that has been successful in reaching out and providing anonymous HIV screening to at-risk populations since 1991. This service has encouraged early HIV diagnosis, promoted regular testing and increased treatment.
7. Whether you are an advocate, provider, client, educator, caregiver, or a person living with HIV, many of those present here today have led the HIV response in one way or another. We look forward to hearing from all our community partners during the conference.
Overcoming stigma and discrimination
8. Community responses contribute across the entire range of interventions that are needed to combat HIV as a society. In particular, they have been instrumental in advocating and campaigning for HIV-specific issues, in promoting societal change, and in fostering a more inclusive and compassionate environment for individuals living with HIV.
7. As part of the ongoing efforts to change attitudes and to combat HIV stigma and discrimination in the healthcare sector, several community groups represented here today have partnered the National Centre for Infectious Diseases to co-develop a HIV sensitivity workshop. Designed to promote a more inclusive and empathetic healthcare environment, the workshop provides participants with a better understanding of the challenges surrounding HIV care and helps them to be better equipped to engage effectively with individuals living with HIV. We hope to see more of such collaborations in the future so that, together, we can overcome HIV stigma and discrimination.
Supporting individuals aging with HIV
8. As we continue in our efforts to combat the transmission of HIV, it is imperative that we acknowledge the significant demographic shift in the landscape of HIV care. With the remarkable advancements in antiretroviral therapy, individuals living with HIV on regular treatment can lead lives no different from others and are now living much longer than before. We are witnessing a growing population of people ageing with HIV. And in light of this demographic shift, it has become increasingly important to broaden our focus beyond survival to encompass the holistic well-being of individuals aging with HIV. They may face a unique set of challenges such as managing age-related illnesses and accessing emotional and social support networks.
National rollout of HIV self-testing kits in 2025
9. Here in Singapore, we have made significant strides towards achieving the 95-95-95 targets set by UNAIDS. This aims to have 95% of people living with HIV knowing their diagnosis, 95% of people diagnosed with HIV receiving treatment, and 95% of people receiving treatment achieving a suppressed viral load by 2030. We have made significant progress. I am proud to share that as a community, we have got to 85% of people living with HIV in Singapore knowing their diagnosis, 94% of those diagnosed are receiving treatment, and 93% of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression. These are encouraging results, and they represent progress, but it is crucial that we maintain our momentum in our fight against HIV, especially in addressing the issue of delayed diagnosis.
10. As part of our ongoing commitment to reduce the spread of HIV and to increase accessibility to testing, I am pleased to announce the national rollout of HIV self-testing kits across retail pharmacies nationwide by the end of January 2025. This initiative to introduce HIV self-testing as another modality to increase testing, started as a pilot programme in 2022, and it was led by the National HIV Programme, with community partners AfA and the Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control (DSC) clinic. In that process, HIV self-testing has been shown to be safe, to be effective, and to be widely accepted among the key populations and the general public.
11. For many, the fear of stigma can be a barrier to getting tested. With the introduction of the HIV self-testing kits, individuals will now have greater access to HIV testing and the option to test themselves in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. This initiative goes beyond the addition of another testing modality in our fight against HIV. It empowers individuals to take charge of their own health, and it reinforces the idea that early detection is crucial for the initiation of treatment.
12. However, introducing self-testing kits is only part of the equation. It is vital that we provide support systems and follow-up for the individuals who use these kits. Once a person self-tests, they need guidance on what to do next, especially if they test positive. And this is where community partners, like yourselves, are invaluable. The trust and relationships that your organisations have built up with the communities that you serve will be instrumental in helping these individuals navigate their journey, whether that is confirming their status, accessing treatment, or receiving emotional support.
13. I would like to emphasise that self-testing is an addition to, and it is not a replacement of, our broader HIV testing efforts. Visiting a clinic or engaging with community-based testing programmes should remain the preferred method, and these pathways will continue to be available. The self-testing kits complement these options by giving people one more way to access HIV testing in a manner that suits their individual circumstances.
14. HIV self-testing kits are rapid, they are user-friendly, they can be easily delivered in and by communities. As we launch the kits next year, we will work closely with our community partners to ensure that this initiative is not just about the availability of the kits but ensuring that they are used effectively.
Closing
15. I would like to thank all of our community partners and healthcare professionals for your contributions and for your tireless efforts that have made progress possible. Let us continue to work hand in hand together to create a Singapore where every individual, regardless of their HIV status, can live without the fear of discrimination and age well with dignity.
16. Thank you for inviting me to the SAC, and I look forward to the sharing and discussions that will emerge from today’s conference. Thank you very much.