Health Equity Matters is proud to be working alongside Fijian, Australian and regional partners to strengthen Fiji’s HIV response through a new integrated program. This investment marks a significant step forward in ensuring that communities most affected by HIV are supported to lead and shape their HIV response.
As a peer organisation led by and for communities affected by HIV, Health Equity Matters is uniquely placed to provide this kind of support. We understand first-hand the importance of centring community voices in prevention and care, and will bring that lived expertise into our partnerships in Fiji. Our role is not only to deliver technical assistance, but to stand alongside local organisations as an ally, ensuring that communities have the resources and recognition they need to drive change themselves.
By merging two complementary streams of work into a single program, we can maximise resources, reduce duplication and create a more coordinated, sustainable platform for impact. At its core, the program is about putting communities in the driver’s seat – recognising that lasting progress in HIV prevention and care comes when those most affected have the tools, support and recognition to lead.
Asaeli Sinusetaki, Interim CEO of Rainbow Pride Foundation and Co-Lead of the HIV Taskforce Prevention Sub-Committee, said:
For many years, community organisations have carried the weight of HIV prevention with our own communities. It is encouraging to see the [Fijian] Government now working in genuine partnership with us to strengthen a community-led response.
With support from the Australian Government, through Health Equity Matters, we can finally build on our experience in a sustainable way. The new outreach model gives us real hope for the future, and we are deeply grateful to DFAT, Health Equity Matters and MOHMS Fiji for walking alongside us.
The program is structured around three interconnected streams of work:
- Community-Led Prevention and Outreach: supporting outreach workers, divisional prevention coordinators and a new national coordinator to take prevention, testing and referral services directly to the communities who need them most. This includes strengthening peer networks and embedding outreach in sexual and reproductive health hubs in partnership with the Ministry of Health & Medical Services (MOHMS).
- Organisational Development: building the capacity, governance and sustainability of community-led organisations. Through training, mentoring and organisational development grants, these groups are being supported to deliver services more effectively and to advocate for the needs of their communities.
- National Coordination and Policy Engagement: ensuring that the voices of key populations are present in national decision-making. This includes convening and supporting the HIV Taskforce Prevention Sub-Committee, strengthening links with MOHMS and ensuring community priorities are reflected in national strategies and policies.
Health Equity Matters’ role as a key technical partner
As a key technical partner to the Fijian Government’s HIV Taskforce, Health Equity Matters is providing specialist support to the Prevention Sub-Committee, with a focus on strengthening and embedding the community-led response at the centre of national HIV prevention. Our role as secretariat ensures that community organisations and government are working together to design, implement and monitor prevention initiatives.
In just the first few months, the program has convened several important national and divisional forums to bring together representatives of key populations. These gatherings have been instrumental in mapping the current situation across the country. This has included identifying hotspots, divisional and sub-divisional level challenges, and the unique needs of each community. The forums have also highlighted the intersectionality between key populations and underscored the importance of tailored, locally driven solutions.
By bringing community leaders together with government, development partners, technical organisations and other stakeholders, these forums have ensured that community voice is not only heard but central to advocacy efforts and planning for a stronger community-led response to HIV.
Fiji’s first peer-led counselling toolkit
Alongside this, the program has also supported the development of key technical tools and processes. Health Equity Matters is working with the Burnet Institute, who are leading the development of Fiji’s first peer-led counselling toolkit. This toolkit has been co-designed with community partners, adapted for the local context, and endorsed by stakeholders. The Burnet Institute will continue to take this work forward beyond the establishment phase, ensuring a sustainable resource for peer counsellors across Fiji.
National peer-led outreach model
The program has also advanced a national peer-led outreach model, co-designed with communities, government and technical partners, which is now moving toward formal endorsement. Baseline organisational capacity assessments with CSO partners are also underway, guiding tailored development support and strengthening the foundations of Fiji’s community-led HIV sector.
These achievements are only the beginning. Over the coming months, the program will recruit and embed national and divisional prevention coordinators, commence peer-led counselling training and roll out the outreach model across all four divisions. Each step will deepen the role of community-led organisations in shaping and sustaining Fiji’s HIV response.
This work is funded through the Australian Government, via direct funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade alongside funding through the Indo-Pacific HIV Partnership (jointly delivered by Health Equity Matters and UNAIDS).
