Community innovations help ensure no one is left behind in Australia’s HIV response

4 February 2026, Melbourne Australia: ViiV Healthcare Australia has awarded $200,000 to six HIV community organisations through its annual Positive Action Community Grants program. Over the past decade, the program has delivered approximately $2 million to more than 50 community-led HIV projects nationwide.

Despite significant advances in prevention and treatment, stigma is still a significant issue for people living with HIV. Many people in diverse communities still face stigma, as well as cultural barriers which may impact access to care and quality of life. 

Now entering its 11th year, the Australian Positive Action Community Grants program supports targeted, community-driven initiatives designed to address these barriers by empowering underrepresented groups and helping to drive lasting change.

The latest grants will support: 

Ann Maccarrone, Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager at ViiV Healthcare Australia, says community leadership remains essential to help address stigma and inequities that can overshadow clinical progress. 

“The Government’s Ninth National Strategy sets the vision of virtually eliminating HIV transmission in Australia however, stigma continues to be reported by people living with HIV and is a predictor of poorer outcomes,”¹ said Ms Maccarrone.

“Community-led solutions, grounded in lived experience and strengthened through genuine partnership with diverse communities are critical to addressing barriers to care, providing peer-led education, visibility and helping to improve quality of life for all people living with HIV. The recipients of the 2025 Positive Action Community Grant program are powerful examples of how that change is built and sustained within communities.” 

The recipients have been selected for their ongoing commitment to addressing gaps in HIV-related knowledge in priority populations, enhancing relationships between healthcare providers and people living with HIV, and improving the quality of life for all people living with HIV.   

Jane Costello, CEO Positive Life NSW, says ‘Kitchen Table Stories’ is built on a simple premise - that some of the most effective HIV responses already exist within communities themselves. 

“People from Latin American, Asian and African backgrounds have long supported one another through family, culture and shared experience. ‘Kitchen Table Stories’ creates space for those strengths to be recognised and shared in a peer-led setting. By coming together over food and conversation, participants exchange knowledge, build trust and strengthen peer connections in culturally familiar ways. The program shows how community-led, relationship-based approaches play a vital role in improving wellbeing and supporting positive health outcomes,” says Costello. 

Cameron Brown, CEO Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases, says their ‘Red Ribbon Chat’ can help bridge the gap for people who need information and support but are unable or reluctant to access it in traditional ways. 

“The support from ViiV Healthcare is helping us launch a new HIV-specific online chat feature, something we believe can make a real difference in how people access information and support. It’s about meeting people where they are, breaking down stigma, and making sure our community has the tools they need to stay informed and empowered,” Brown says. 

Heather Ellis, Project Lead of Positive Women Victoria, in partnership with The National Association of People with HIV Australia, says the Positive Action funding will help tackle the invisibility of women in Australia’s HIV epidemic. 

“Too many women are diagnosed late or encounter services not attuned to their realities. ‘Women & HIV Today’ will give clinicians a practical tool, informed directly by women’s experiences, to help improve knowledge, reduce stigma and promote inclusive care for all women with HIV,” says Heather. 

Stephen Borg, Manager of Thorne Harbour Health's Positive Living Centre, believes that equitable health outcomes for people living with HIV can only be achieved when First Nations voices are embedded at the centre of the HIV response.

“’Mob+’ is a peer-led, culturally safe space designed by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with HIV. This funding enables us to grow a model grounded in trust, connection, and self-determination — strengthening peer support, reducing isolation, and creating pathways to better health and wellbeing,” says Stephen. 

Dr Daniel Vujcich, CEO WA AIDS Council, says ‘Positively Speaking’ will elevate lived experience through digital storytelling, challenging stigma across multiple settings.

“Stigma thrives in silence. ‘Positively Speaking’ is a series of short, filmed monologues that use digital storytelling to share the complexity and strength of people living with HIV, helping students, clinicians and communities see the people behind the virus,” says Dr Vujcich. 

Richard Keane, CEO Living Positive Victoria, says refreshing the ‘Positive Speakers Bureau’ in partnership with multicultural speakers is an important step in ensuring that those most affected are also most heard. This is aligned with Living Positive Victoria’s recently launched Multicultural Engagement Strategy.

“More people from multicultural communities are stepping forward to share their stories, but our systems haven’t always kept pace. This project is about co-designing the existing training model to ensure the cultural and psychological safety of all of our speakers,” Richard says. 

Christopher Johnston, Country Medical Director at ViiV Healthcare Australia, says that all six recipients of the Positive Action funding reflect the diversity, strength and determination of the HIV community. 

“We are honoured to stand alongside these organisations as they create change and improved outcomes for their communities. By amplifying the lived experience and helping to support community-led ideas, we move closer to a future vision where HIV transmission is virtually eliminated, stigma is dismantled, and every person living with HIV can thrive, with no one left behind.” 

For more information on the Positive Action Community Grants program, please visit https://viivhealthcare.com/en-au/community-engagement/positive-action-grant-projects/