Each year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.

The National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP), Ministry of Health, spearheads the national response to HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka with FPA Sri Lanka and other partner organisations in order to End AIDS by 2025.

Particularly through our Sustainability of Key Populations in Asia (SKPA) project, the aim is to promote sustainable services for key population members, scale-up of outreach work and improve key population members’ access to prevention, testing and treatment and retention in the service cascade. Also to strengthen advocacy efforts, community response systems and address barriers to access, including addressing stigma and discrimination and other human rights- and gender-related barriers to services.

A week long social media campaign was carried out with the participation of activists, peer educators, case finders, people living with HIV, community members and the Global Fund Project staff to share facts on HIV and AIDS, to encourage testing for HIV and STI, accessing treatment so that all people living with HIV can lead healthy and productive lives and to breakdown stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS.

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PrEP demonstration Project:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is a medication people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV. It is not a vaccine, but it is a highly effective preventative method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken daily. This demonstration project will be provided to 250 Men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TGW) in the Colombo District.

 The PrEP Demonstration project is implemented by the National STD and AIDS Control Program (NSACP) with the support of the Global Fund. The National Program and the Regional grant are providing support for the implementation by helping to connect community members and providing workshops to better educate MSM and TGW on PrEP. FPA will also provide support to create demand for PrEP to help the demonstration project be successful. Based on the finding the NSACP will gradually incorporate PrEP across their clinics.