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NCID > About NCID > Our Departments > National HIV Programme

National HIV Programme

National HIV Programme

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HIV Self-Testing Pilot Programme

 

In Singapore, most of the newly diagnosed HIV infections continue to be detected during the course of clinical care and typically at a late stage of HIV infection, with a very low proportion diagnosed from self-initiated testing. In addition, the National HIV Testing Recommendations recommend that every adult at the age of 21 years and above should be tested at least once in their life regardless of risk factors, and people at higher risk of HIV infection should be tested more frequently.

Anyone who wants to know their HIV status is encouraged to get tested. The National HIV Programme, together with our partners at Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control (DSC) Clinic and Action for AIDS (AfA), have introduced HIV self-testing to complement existing testing modalities in Singapore. The pilot programme aims to encourage individuals at risk to be tested, in turn increasing early diagnosis and early treatment for persons living with HIV. Under the pilot programme, HIV self-testing kits can be purchased from DSC and AfA by individuals above 21 years old and administered in the privacy of the individual's home from 1 August 2022.

Click here for more information on HIV self-testing.

Scan the QR code below for more information on how to use the HIV self-test kits.

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Media interview: Doctors recommend HIV self-test should be used six weeks after high-risk exposure
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk_midtRhV4
Online article: https://www.8world.com/singapore/hiv-testing-1914531


Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains a public health priority in Singapore. The National HIV Programme (NHIVP) was established under the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to coordinate this country-wide HIV response. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the NHIVP collaborates with clinicians and healthcare professionals, public health practitioners, academics and other stakeholders.

In line with the Ministry of Health's objectives to end HIV in Singapore, the NHIVP will:

  • Coordinate the formulation and recommendation of evidence-based guidelines on HIV testing, prevention, treatment and patient management;

  • Monitor HIV trends in Singapore through working with the National Public Health Epidemiology Unit (NPHEU) to conduct national epidemiological surveillance of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs);

  • Monitor common circulating HIV strains in Singapore, identify and track transmissible drug resistance in HIV, as well as conduct recency testing through working with the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) to conduct national HIV molecular surveillance programme​;

  • Provide enhanced training to healthcare professionals to strengthen their competence and confidence in the management of patients with HIV; and

  • Develop HIV education campaigns to increase awareness and reduce related stigma in the general population.

The NHIVP Vision

Aimed at achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 / 95-95-95-95 targets and beyond, our vision is to provide quality and holistic patient-centred care for all persons living with HIV in Singapore and build an environment that is free from stigma and discrimination.

 

NHIVP provides policy and strategic oversight for the Enhanced HIV Programme. The programme has been operationalised by the respective Clinical HIV Programmes under NCID, National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Changi General Hospital (CGH) to provide care for persons living with HIV.​

Our Team 

DirectorDr Wong Chen Seong
Deputy Director​​Christine Gao
Clinical Advisors

A/Prof Sophia Archuleta (Senior Consultant)

Dr Choy Chiaw Yee (Consultant)

Dr Teh Yii Ean (Consultant)

Policy Team

Dr Felicia Hong

Geraldine Cheng

Jessey Markose

Karen Chin

Programme Team

Lavinia Lin

Sally Low


For any further enquiries, please email: nhivp@ncid.sg

For more information on HIV testing, prevention and treatment, education resources, and national HIV campaigns and projects, visit here.

The NHIVP regularly hosts conferences, seminars and education events to share best practices of HIV prevention, treatment and patient management for healthcare professionals and general public.  


For Healthcare Professionals:

Healthcare Worker Stigma and Discrimination Online Modules (coming soon)

The Healthcare Worker Stigma and Discrimination Online Modules are a series of comprehensive web-based educational modules, aiming to increase HIV-related knowledge, especially regarding HIV-related stigma and discrimination. The goal is to assist healthcare workers in recognising their own unconscious bias and discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV, and help them adopt and promote best practices in the care of people living with HIV. The modules are interactive and catered to various roles in healthcare institutions (for example, nurses, doctors, patient service associates, and healthcare students). It will be available to all healthcare workers in Singapore.

PrEP Prescriber Course

The PrEP Prescriber Course is to educate and equip general practitioners, primary care doctors and people who work with individuals at risk of HIV infection with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide PrEP services.

PrEP Prescriber Course 2022


For Healthcare Professionals and General Public:

Singapore HIV Congress
The Singapore HIV Congress (SHC), started in 2019, is held once every two years. It brings together the medical, scientific and academic fraternity in a forum to present the latest developments in HIV medicine and related fields. The aim of the congress is to provide an avenue for exchange of ideas spurred by new findings in HIV testing, treatment, prevention and HIV stigma in the public domain.

Year​Summary Reports of SHC​​Event Recording
​2023
​Auditorium Rapporteur
CHI Halls Rapporteur​​
​NIL

​2021

SHC 2021: Session 1
SHC 2021: Session 2

Singapore HIV Congress 2021: 90-90-90 and beyond (Session 1)
Singapore HIV Congress 2021: 90-90-90 and beyond (Session 2)


HIV Community Engagement Forum 
The HIV Community Engagement Forum aims to bring together people from all walks of life, such as infectious disease specialists and healthcare professionals who do not specialise in the field of infectious diseases, community members working with HIV populations and the general population with limited or no knowledge of HIV, to engage in dialogues and discussions in order to raise awareness and combat various misconceptions surrounding HIV.

HIV Community Engagement Forum 2023: U=U and You
HIV Community Engagement Forum 2022: Ins & Outs of HIV Testing
HIV Community Engagement Forum 2021: Increasing HIV Testing in Singapore

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day (WAD) started in 1988 and takes place on 1 December each year. It is an international day for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Every year, NHIVP and Enhanced HIV Programmes at public healthcare institutions commemorate WAD through activities to raise awareness about HIV, challenge misconceptions about HIV transmission and infection, and develop empathy and solidarity between people living with HIV and healthcare workers.
World AIDS Day 2023: Following Jason's Journey – Relationships
World AIDS Day 2022: Following Jason's Journey – Employment
World AIDS Day 2021: Following Jason’s Journey – Diagnosis & Beyond
World AIDS Day 2020: We are in this together


To receive information about NHIVP’s events, please email: training@ncid.sg


Conference Presentations:

  1. Choy, CY. Treatment as prevention: U=U, 11th Singapore AIDS Conference, Singapore, 8 Dec 2018.

Scientific Publications:

  1. Choy CY, Wong CS, Kumar PA, Lin RTP, Low C, Toh MPHS, Huang F, Olszyna DP, Teh YE, Chien MFJ, Archuleta S. “National HIV programme testing recommendations.” Singapore Med J. 2023; doi: 10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-466.

  2. Choy CY, Wong CS, Kumar PA, Yeo B, Banerjee S, Leow Y, Olszyna DP, Tan KK, Tan RKJ, Ti J, Chan R, Le D, Kwok C, Archuleta S. "Guidance for the prescription of human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis in Singapore." Singapore Med J. 2022; doi: 10.11622/smedj.2022043. Epub ahead of print.

  3. Choy CY, Wong CS, Kumar PA, Olszyna DP, Teh YE, Chien MFJ, Kurup A, Koh YL, Ho LP, Law HL, Chua NGS, Yong HYJ, Archuleta S. "Recommendations for the use of antiretroviral therapy in adults living with HIV in Singapore." Singapore Med J. 2022; doi: 10.11622/smedj.2021174. Epub ahead of print.

  4. Tan YR, Kaur N, Ye AJ, Zhang Y, Lim JXZ, Tan RKJ, Ho LP, Chen MI, Wong ML, Wong CS, Yap P. "Perceptions of an HIV self-testing intervention and its potential role in addressing the barriers to HIV testing among at-risk heterosexual men: a qualitative analysis." Sex Transm Infect. 2021;97:514-520.

  5. Choy CY, Wong CS. "SARS-CoV-2 and Advanced HIV Infection." Annals Acad Med Singapore. 2020; 49(12):1042-1043.

  6. CY Choy, CS Wong. "It's not all about COVID‐19: Pneumocystis pneumonia in the era of a respiratory outbreak." J Int AIDS Soc. 2020;23(6):e25533

  7. Tan RKJ, Kaur N, Chen MI, Wong CS. "Developing a typology of HIV/STI testing patterns among gay, bisexual, and queer men: a framework to guide interventions." Qual Health Res. 2020;30(4):610-621

  8. Tan RKJ, Wong CS. "Mobilising civil society for the HIV treatment cascade: measures of democracy and its impact on diagnosis rates among PLHIV." J Int AIDS Soc. 2019;22(8): e25374

  9. Ho ZJM, Huang F, Wong CS, Chua L, Ma S, Chen MI, Lee VJ. "Using a HIV registry to develop accurate estimates for the HIV care cascade - the Singapore experience." J Int AIDS Soc. 2019;22(7):e25356.

  10. Wong CS, Kumar PA, Wong CM, Choong CH, Lim O, Chan YY, Ibrahin MA, Chio MT, Tan RKJ, Chen MI. "Acceptability of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Opinions on PrEP Service Delivery Among Men who have Sex with Men in Singapore: A Qualitative Study."  AIDS Educ Prev. 2019;31(2):152-162.

  11. Tan RKJ, Teo AKJ, Kaur N, Harrison-Quintana J, Wong CS, Chen MI. "Extent and selectivity of sexual orientation disclosure and its association with HIV and other STI testing patterns among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men." Sex Transm Infect. 2019;95:273-278.

  12. Tan RKJ, Teo AKJ, Kaur N, Harrison-Quintana J, Chen MI, Wong CS. "Cost and anonymity as factors for the effective implementation of PrEP: an observational study among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Singapore." Sex Health. 2018;15(6):533-541.

  13. Wong CS. "HIV Prevention: The Promise of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Singapore." Annals of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore. 2017;46(7):265-66.

  14. Tan XQ, Goh W-P, Venkatachalam I, Goh D, Sridhar R, Chan HC, Archuleta S. "Evaluation of a HIV Voluntary Opt-Out Screening Program in a Singapore Hospital." PLoS ONE. 2015;10(1): e0116987.

  15. Wong CS, Lye DC, Lee CC, Leo YS. "Acute HIV Infection in Singapore: predominance of men who have sex with men." Singapore Medical Journal. 2011;52(12):860-3.


All national recommendations and guidelines documents will be reviewed and updated every two years.

Document

First approved

Last reviewed

Description

HIV Testing Recommendations

Full text

Summary slides

2021

​2023

Adapted from the major international guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NHIVP developed the HIV Testing Recommendations to:

  1. Increase the uptake of HIV testing nationally;
  2. Allow earlier detection and identification of individuals with HIV infection;
  3. Facilitate timely linkage to clinical services; and 
  4. Reduce further transmission of HIV infection in Singapore by increasing testing and linking positive cases to care early.

​Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Guidance

Full text

Summary slides

2019

2023

The NHIVP convened a PrEP Workgroup in May 2019, to develop a guide for physicians on prescribing PrEP as an additional tool to prevent HIV infection. Updated every two years, the Workgroup's guidance is an adaptation of current guidelines on PrEP from the WHO, the US CDC, British HIV Association (BHIVA), the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM), European AIDS Clinical Society and the Taiwan AIDS Society, as well as a previous local guideline created by the PrEP taskforce in April 2018. The guidance aims to:

  1. Assist clinicians in their evaluation of patients who are seeking PrEP; and
  2. Assist clinicians in commencing and monitoring their patients on PrEP.

Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Recommendations

Full text

Summary slides

2019

2023

The NHIVP developed the Use of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Adults Living with HIV in Singapore to guide physicians on the ART prescription based on patients’ needs. Based on international guidelines, which had previously been applied in Singapore prima facie, the national recommendations are tailored to the local context to consider unique domestic considerations. Reviewed and updated every two years, the purpose of the national recommendations is to enhance the care of people living with HIV, providing the best possible treatments to patients.

Primary Care Recommendations

Full text

Summary Slides

2023

​​-

The Primary Care Recommendations aim to guide physicians in providing comprehensive care to people living with HIV in both HIV specialty or primary care setting. It is an updated adaptation of current major international guidelines, including the New York State Department of Health Institute (NYSDOH), the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). 

 
















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