PrEPARING ASIA 2025 report sets out priorities for equitable access to HIV prevention across Asia and the Pacific.
APCOM Community Summit: PrEPARING ASIA 2025 — Making Prevention Choice a Reality, calling on governments, donors and development partners to expand prevention options, invest in community-led services and secure sustainable financing across Asia and the Pacific.
The report brings together insights and recommendations from more than 80 community leaders, government representatives, researchers, development partners and healthcare practitioners who gathered in Bangkok in November 2025.
UNAIDS data reinforce the urgency of this work. In 2024, around 200,000 people in Asia and the Pacific used oral PrEP at least once, less than 10% of the region’s 2025 target of 8.2 million people. Access to broader prevention services also remains uneven: approximately half of sex workers, one-third of gay men and transgender people, and one-fifth of people who inject drugs were reached in 2024. These gaps are especially concerning as key populations and their sexual partners accounted for the large majority of new HIV infections in the region. UNAIDS, 2025 Global AIDS Update, UNAIDS Asia-Pacific
New UNAIDS data released in July 2026 show that an estimated 280,000 people acquired HIV in Asia and the Pacific in 2025. Although annual new infections declined by 21% between 2010 and 2025, epidemics continued to grow in countries including Fiji, Pakistan and the Philippines. UNAIDS Asia-Pacific
Its central message is clear: expanding HIV prevention choice requires affordable options, accessible services and meaningful community leadership. Discussions highlighted how stigma, discrimination, regulatory delays and uncertain funding continue to prevent people from accessing services that meet their needs.
“Prevention choice must become a reality in people’s everyday lives. That means people can access the option that works for them, afford it and receive support without fear of discrimination. Governments and donors must invest in community-led organisations and ensure communities have a decisive voice in how prevention is designed, funded and delivered.”
Midnight, APCOM Executive Director commented.
The report examines access to oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP, alongside the practical changes needed to support equitable delivery. Participants emphasised the importance of preparing health systems, strengthening supply chains, training providers and reaching communities beyond major urban centres.
“The science is clear: injectable PrEP works. The challenge now is political commitment, financing, and equity. Strong community leadership will determine whether these tools reach everyone who needs them,”
said Dr Chris Beyrer, Director of the Duke Global Health Institute, in his Summit keynote.
Dr Khin Cho Win Htin, UNAIDS:
“We already have the science. What we need now is equitable access, policy commitment, and political courage to make prevention a right… not a privilege.”
Community-led organisations were recognised as essential partners in connecting people to services, building trust, supporting informed choices and identifying gaps through community-led monitoring. The report calls for their formal inclusion in national health systems, backed by predictable, multi-year funding that supports their core operations.
“From the beginning, we insisted that PrEP should be implemented with communities, not just for them,”
said Doan Thanh Tung, Executive Director of The Lighthouse Enterprise, Viet Nam, reflecting on community involvement in the country’s PrEP response.
Key recommendations include:
- Expand prevention choice: strengthen national policies and readiness for oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP, with affordable access and services responsive to diverse needs.
- Fund community leadership: integrate community-led service delivery, peer support and monitoring into national plans and financing.
- Secure long-term sustainability: increase domestic investment and include HIV prevention in universal health coverage.
- Protect rights and dignity: address stigma, discrimination and legal barriers, and safeguard the ability of community organisations to operate.
- Strengthen regional cooperation: share implementation lessons and coordinate efforts on affordability, procurement and access.
Financing discussions at the Summit also included a presentation on a proposed Asia-Pacific Prevention Fund, reflecting the focus on exploring additional approaches to sustaining prevention in the region.
The report highlights opportunities to expand access through digital outreach, appointment systems and telehealth, while protecting privacy and retaining accessible services for people who cannot safely or easily use online platforms.
APCOM calls on governments, development partners, donors and community networks to use the report’s recommendations to guide national planning, funding decisions and regional collaboration, placing the rights and priorities of communities most affected by HIV at the centre.
See our previous APCOM Community Summits:
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2017
