Media Gallery

MEDIA RELEASE

Local (Updated: 09 Dec 2011)

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

ACTION FOR AIDS, SINGAPORE, LAUNCHES A FIRST OF ITS KIND IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

SPECIAL VAN TO CONDUCT MOBILE HIV/AIDS TEST & COUNSELING SERVICES WITH $250,000 FUNDING FROM M.A.C. AIDS FUND.

FREE TESTING FOR MEMBERS OF PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
Singapore, 7 December 2011 - Action for AIDS, Singapore (AfA) today launched a Mobile anonymous HIV Testing Service (MTS) van that will make anonymous testing for the HIV virus even more accessible and convenient for the public.

The initiative is funded by the MAC AIDS Fund and supported by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, and the Department of STI Control. It is a first of its kind in Singapore and probably in Southeast Asia.

The MTS van complements the Anonymous HIV Testing and Counselling Clinic Service (ATS) that is provided by AfA. The ATS which is located within the DSC Clinic at Kelantan Lane, operates three times a week and is the busiest among the seven MOH-approved anonymous test sites in Singapore.

The MTS van is equipped with the necessary clinical facilities to conduct rapid HIV and syphilis testing. It will travel with two staff who have been specially trained to conduct the tests and provide counselling services, along with two volunteers who will assist with the logistics and administrative tasks. The results of the tests will be disclosed within 20 minutes and in strictest confidence.

Professor Roy Chan, President of AfA said, “Early detection of HIV infection reduces the chances of people spreading the infection unknowingly. Each year, more than 400 people are newly diagnosed with HIV. Last year, 54% of the HIV infections were already in late- stage infections by the time they were diagnosed.

This is very unfortunate because early detection would lead to early medical intervention, which has been shown to improve health outcomes. Only 12% of the diagnosed cases were detected through voluntary testing. We hope that with the launch of the mobile testing service, more people, especially those who are at high risk of contracting the HIV virus, will come forward to be tested.”

"Since 1996 with the advent of the highly effective medications, HIV infection has ceased to be fatal and has become one that is treatable. Infected persons on treatment are able to lead healthy and productive lives. It has also recently been shown that early initiation of HIV-treatment reduces the risk of transmission of HIV by 96% in couples, one of whom is HIV-infected and the other is not infected" added Professor Chan.

(Please refer to Appendix A for data on HIV/AIDS infections in Singapore.)

The M.A.C. AIDS Fund is supporting the pilot programme with a seed fund of $250,000. AfA has budgeted $191,000 towards the annual operational costs of the MTS.

In conjunction with the official launch of the MTS, members of the public can get a free anonymous HIV rapid test done in the van throughout the month of December. Thereafter, the rapid HIV and syphilis tests carried out by the MTS will cost $30 each, which is the same amount as charged by the ATS.

AfA will work with community based groups and companies to bring the MTS to as many venues as possible, with the aim of showing how quick and simple HIV testing is, changing mindsets about HIV testing, and at the same time raising awareness of HIV/AIDS being a treatable condition.

A monthly schedule showing the venues and times that the MTS van will be deployed can be found online at www.afa.org.sg. Organisations or companies which would like to have the MTS van present at their premises or events can make the necessary arrangements by emailing mts@afa.org.sg.

(Please refer to Appendix B for photographs of the Mobile Anonymous HIV Testing and Counselling Service van.)

-ENDS

Media Contact:
Anwar Hashim | May Yong
Action for AIDS
Email : anwar@afa.org.sg | media@afa.org.sg
Tel : 9730 2230 | 9634 5096

---

ABOUT ACTION FOR AIDS, SINGAPORE
www.afa.org.sg

Action for AIDS, Singapore (AfA) was formed in 1988 in response to the development of AIDS and the first reported case in Singapore in 1986. It is a registered Charity and IPO and runs a large array of support, welfare and educational programmes that are managed largely by staff and a pool of volunteers. AfA is largely funded through programmatic funding from government and by donations from sponsors and members of the public.

The organization focuses on the promotion of prevention, education, advocacy and the provision of care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS. AfA targets vulnerable populations as well as the general public, it collaborates with government organizations in designing and implementing a variety of such programmes.

AfA operates an the largest Anonymous HIV-testing facility in the Singapore, it manages the Paddy Chew Patient Welfare Fund, the Pregnant Mothers Fund, Care for Families Fund, and co-ordinates several peer support groups to assist infected persons and their families. Its educational activities include public talks, conferences and exhibitions, the development of educational materials, and behavioral intervention programmes.

For its outstanding track record AfA was awarded the 2010 Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health by the World Health Organization for its outstanding contributions in HIV/AIDS education, care and advocacy.

ABOUT M·A·C AIDS FUND
www.macaidsfund.org

The M·A·C AIDS Fund (MAF), the heart and soul of M·A·C Cosmetics, was established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally.

MAF is a pioneer in HIV/AIDS funding, providing financial support to organizations working with underserved regions and populations.

As the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical giver in the arena, MAF is committed to addressing the link between poverty and HIV/AIDS by supporting diverse organizations around the world that provide a wide range of services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

To date, MAF has raised $224 million (U.S) exclusively through the sale of M·A·C’s VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass, donating 100 percent of the sale price to fight HIV/AIDS.

---

APPENDIX A

THE HIV/AIDS SITUATION IN SINGAPORE
Characteristics of new cases of HIV infection

*Source: 2008, 2009 and 2010 press releases from the Ministry of Health.

	2008	2009	2010
Singapore residents detected with HIV infection annually	456	463	441
Percentage of the HIV infections in Singapore detected as a result of voluntary HIV testing.	12%	9%	12%
Percentage of the HIV infections in Singapore detected in the course of medical care or as a result of routine health testing	68%	73%	74%
Percentage of the HIV infections in Singapore with late stage infection when diagnosed	50%	57%	54%

---

APPENDIX B

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MOBILE ANONYMOUS HIV TESTING AND COUNSELLING SERVICE