One unique thing about FJN+ is we have that lived experience. When we talk about the response, we see that our stories play an important role in changing the behaviour and the mindset of people. I’ve been doing this work for almost 19 years, diagnosed way back in 2007. And undetectable for 14 years. So those kinds of stories, when we share with people in the country, it has really changed the perception.
— Joeli Colati, Executive Director, FJN+
Left to right: Rochelle Naulunimagiti (Peer Counselling Manager, FJN+), Joeli Colati (Executive Director, FJN+), Dash Heath-Paynter (CEO, Health Equity Matters).
Health Equity Matters is thrilled to be leading the Community Stream of the Australian Support for Pacific HIV Action (ASPHA) initiative. This is a new grant from the Australian Government that will see us scale up our work in the Pacific, by supporting community-based organisations to impact their local HIV responses.
In July, we caught up with Joeli Colati and Rochelle Naulunimagiti from Fiji Network Plus (FJN+) in our Sydney office. FJN+ are the network for people living with HIV in Fiji and provide critical support across Fiji for the HIV-positive community. They are one of the community organisations that we will work alongside under ASPHA.
Fiji is currently facing a significant challenge to address a surge in HIV notifications. As Joeli, the Executive Director of FJN+ tells us:
‘Last year alone we recorded one of the highest numbers in the country according to our surveillance data – more than 2000 [new diagnoses of] people with HIV.’
FJN+ offers a range of services for the community. These services include a care and support program through home visits, monthly members meeting, treatment advice and adherence counselling, HIV peer counselling and peer support, as well as community education, outreach activities and training for community members.
‘Through the grant provided by Health Equity Matters, it enables us to provide essential care and support to our members, in terms of nutritional support, transport assistance to attend clinic appointments, support for immobile community members, assistance for mothers living with HIV, and the implementation of our Home Visitation Programme.
‘We also participate in outreach services. Our peer counsellors are very much involved in the Moonlight Campaign – a new initiative in the country targeting our key populations including sex workers, LGBTIQ people, and street dwellers. Our peer counsellors are very much involved in that program, because we see if someone is confirmed as positive, our peer counsellors are there to provide peer-to-peer support.
‘And we do outreach. We are very much involved in the national response. Fiji Network Plus is represented on several technical working groups, that oversee and guide Fiji’s HIV response.
Rochelle, FJN+’s Peer Counselling Manager, speaks to the experience of stigma and discrimination that comes up in day-to-day conversations.
‘So far, our counsellors have been able to reach key populations, including sex workers and people who inject drugs who are also living with HIV. We’re so grateful that we managed to end up reaching underrepresented groups from the community.
‘One of the issues these communities always share with us is the stigma and discrimination they face when accessing health services. Going forward, one of our key priorities is to advocate for community-led testing, HIV peer counselling and stronger community-led initiatives. Through our peer counselling program, we have gained valuable insights from our counselling sessions, which continue to highlight the importance of these community-led approaches in improving access to services and supporting people living with HIV.
This new peer counselling program from FJN+ is possible thanks to the support of the Australian Government, with technical support and funding providing via the Burnet Institute and Health Equity Matters.
Joeli, Rochelle and FJN+ are uniquely placed to provide peer support and knowledge for Fiji’s newly positive community. Rochelle shared their story of HIV diagnosis through injecting drug use and spoke to the importance of having organisations like FJN+ to provide much-need support in what is a challenging time.
‘I was so fortunate to have my peers and an organisation like FJN+, where the support in terms of this peer counselling program, and also from peer-to-peer support and one-on-one sessions.
‘I’m so grateful that because of the support from Health Equity Matters, we have FJN+ being operational. And we’re able to reach out to our members to our peers who really need this help.’
FJN+ was registered in 2004, providing a much-needed service, but after a few years donors withdrew due to a lack of focus on HIV at the time. This came to a head in 2014 when FJN+ was deregistered due to a complete lack of funding, leaving the organisation dormant.
Joeli has been HIV-positive for 19 years and has long been one of Fiji’s most prominent voices for positive people. Not long after his diagnosis, Joeli was introduced to FJN+.
‘From that time until now, I’ve been a member ever since. I’ve never left the organisation because I see the importance of us staying together, to help other peers who are newly diagnosed.’
The new funding under ASPHA will ensure that organisations like FJN+ can continue to play a vital role in Fiji’s HIV response. Joeli remarked:
‘We are so grateful and honoured to be one of the organisations supported by Health Equity Matters. And I think because of Health Equity Matters, because their expertise, the people with experience and technical support, it enables us to learn and make use of this opportunity.’
The support for FJN+ is delivered through Health Equity Matters from the Australian Government, both as part of ASPHA, under the previous HIV Surge funding from 2025, and under the Indo Pacific HIV Partnership (delivered in partnership with UNAIDS), which is part of the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.