In July 2025, the Papua New Guinea Government formally declared HIV a national crisis, acknowledging the escalating number of new infections and the urgent need for a stronger, more coordinated response. The declaration marked a significant moment in the country’s HIV response and underscored the scale of the challenge facing communities, health services, and national systems.
The declaration highlighted rising HIV notifications, persistent stigma and discrimination, and gaps in access to testing, prevention, and treatment, particularly for key and vulnerable populations. It also recognised the strain placed on health systems by funding disruptions, workforce shortages, and supply constraints, reinforcing the need for new approaches that place communities at the centre of the response.
For Key Populations Advocacy Consortium PNG, the declaration reinforced the urgency and relevance of its work. As a national, community-led consortium, KPAC has been strengthening coordination, governance, and service delivery to ensure that community voices and lived experience inform PNG’s HIV response at all levels.
In the lead-up to and following the crisis declaration, KPAC continued to expand community-led outreach, strengthen referral pathways, and support safe access to HIV prevention, testing, and care. This includes the rollout of peer-led services, strengthened engagement with national coordination mechanisms, and the launch of new community-based access points such as the Sunset Community Health Hub in Port Moresby.
The declaration also aligned closely with KPAC’s focus on building strong organisational systems and leadership. In a crisis environment, effective community responses require credible governance, safeguarding, financial accountability, and the ability to work in partnership with government and donors. KPAC’s ongoing organisational strengthening work positions it to respond responsibly and at scale as national expectations increase.
KPAC has continued to engage with key national stakeholders, including the National Department of Health and the National AIDS Council Secretariat, contributing data, evidence, and community perspectives to national discussions. This engagement supports the intent of the crisis declaration by ensuring that policy decisions and program responses are informed by those most affected.
The HIV crisis declaration is a call to action for all partners. It recognises that biomedical solutions alone are not enough and that trust, access, and community leadership are essential to reaching people who remain excluded from traditional services.
As Papua New Guinea confronts this national emergency, KPAC remains committed to working alongside government, communities, and partners to strengthen a coordinated, community-led response. The crisis declaration makes clear what communities have long known. Ending HIV in PNG will only be possible if community leadership is recognised, resourced, and sustained.
More can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcD_jtDk9Fo.
