THE SKPA PROGRAM
As of January 2019, AFAO’s international office leads the SKPA Program, funded by Global Fund. The 3-year program aims to promote sustainable services for key populations - including MSM, transgender people, people living with HIV, sex workers and people who inject drugs.
The program is being implemented in Bhutan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. Economic growth and the consequent shift to middle income status requires that grant countries within this program increase domestic investment and be more self-sufficient in the delivery of national HIV/AIDS programs. Even where staged, the challenges of transition from donor to domestic funding are acute. With diminishing donor funding, countries must be highly efficient in targeting their investments in accordance with epidemiology and mechanisms for funding community-led responses by those most affected by HIV – key populations – must be established or strengthened.
The core objectives of the SKPA Program are to:
Increase Financial Sustainability
Secure the long-term sustainability of increased service delivery at national levels through securing domestic investment and spending, exploring innovative approaches and identifying alternative sources of funding for key programs.
Strengthen Strategic Information
Secure up-to-date strategic information, particularly on key epidemiological and response information including population size estimates and program coverage, community needs assessment of key populations to inform program design.
Mitigate Service Delivery Gaps
Scale-up outreach to key populations and improve their access to prevention, testing and treatment and retention in the service cascade.
Strengthen Community Systems
Strengthen community responses and systems to support increased scale-up of services for key populations including sustainability of community-led services through community-based research, effective use of data and other strategic information and through community mobilisation
Contribute to Enabling Environment
Address barriers to access including addressing stigma and discrimination and other human rights- and gender-related barriers to services, where relevant.
WHERE WE WORK
Click on the links below to learn about our partner organisations and what we are doing in each country.
Save the Children
Malaysian AIDS Council
Burnet Institute
Family Planning Association
LaoPha
Youth for Health
Love Yourself
Estrela +
AFAO
Who We Are
For three decades, AFAO has worked to extend and entrench effective HIV responses across our region. For the past decade we have done this from our Bangkok office.
We work with community and non-government organisations, faith-based organisations and grassroots advocates, helping them establish strong and effective organisations, design and deliver programs, and work more effectively with partner governments and international agencies. AFAO is passionate about amplifying the voices of marginalised key populations - including men who have sex with men, trans and gender diverse communities, sex workers, people who inject drugs, people living with HIV, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and, in Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
David Fowler leads AFAO’s International Program and heads our Bangkok office. With over 30 years working in public health with the Australian government and through a range of international consultancies, David brings a wealth experience to the International Program. He has worked extensively in funding and programming, policy and advocacy, and evaluations for HIV and public health related projects throughout the Asia Pacific.
In addition, 9 other staff support the SKPA program in the Bangkok office.
Our work in Asia and the Pacific strives to support communities to realise a self-determined response to HIV. We work with community and non-government organisations, faith-based organisations and grassroots advocates, helping them establish strong and effective organisations, design and deliver programs, and work more effectively with partner governments and international agencies. The voice and involvement of key populations is woven through all AFAO’s work, including our governance, staff, volunteers and networks.