DONOR:
Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF)
NAME OF GRANT:
CODE Strategies Project:
Community-Led Online and Digital Engagements to Reduce HIV Prevalence and Advance Equity among LGBTQI+ in Asia-Pacific
PRINCIPAL RECIPIENT:
APCOM Foundation
SUB RECIPIENT:
Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal
Nepal has made landmark legal advances for sexual and gender minorities, yet stigma and service disruptions — including the suspension of PEPFAR funding — continue to limit access to HIV services for MSM, male sex workers and transgender people. testKTM responds by generating community-led online demand for testing and PrEP in Kathmandu.
Introduction / About the project:
testKTM is the Nepal country campaign of the CODE Strategies project, implemented by the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal’s leading LGBTQI+ rights organisation. The campaign combines a dedicated website — officially launched on 15 January 2025 — with social media influencers, culturally relevant events and clinic partnerships to connect Kathmandu’s key populations with HIV testing, treatment and PrEP.
In its first year, the campaign reached more than 12,000 community members and beneficiaries online (7,218 male, 5,042 female), while BDS-supported services reached 4,439 people, tested 1,374, and initiated 392 on PrEP.
Project Objectives / Goals:
- Reduce HIV infections among young LGBTQI+ people and key populations through digital demand generation.
- Strengthen community capacities to lead online awareness, advocacy, and person-centred health approaches.
- Widen availability and accessibility of community-led HIV prevention tools such as PrEP, HIV testing, and person-centred care.
- Increase the agency of LGBTQI+ communities to report human rights violations and influence policy responses.
Activities:
- Design and launch of the testKTM website as a digital hub for information, resources and campaign engagement, including an HIV resources and publications column.
- Appointment of social media influencers and campaign design meetings with CSOs to amplify reach and refine tag-lines and digital strategy.
- Pride Month activities, including a drag show attended by over 200 people — LGBTIQ+ community members, UN delegates, embassy and government representatives — integrating messages on safe sex, HIV testing and PrEP.
- Sensitisation sessions with health service providers and ART centres, including workshops training 32 government health providers and 7 community members on person-centred care.
- City task force meetings with the National HIV Centre, WHO, UNAIDS, USAID/FHI representatives, and community clinic partners to align the HIV response amid funding disruptions.
- A National CLM Dialogue, coordinated with the UNAIDS country office, equipping BDS’s HIV implementing partners to monitor services, analyse data and conduct evidence-based advocacy.
Partners:
UNAIDS Nepal, WHO, National Centre for AIDS and STD Control, community-based city clinics, and community social media influencers.
About the organisation behind the project
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