- Public Health England has announced the 14 local projects that have been awarded a share of the £600,000 HIV Innovation Fund for 2018-2019.
- The Fund supports volunteer organisations spearheading new approaches to HIV prevention. It focuses on engaging at-risk or under-served communities, with the aim of funded initiatives ultimately being replicated and scaled up.
This year’s initiatives will support the UK’s recently announced ambition to achieve zero new HIV transmissions by 2030. Projects include The Grass is Always Grindr, a weekly drama series published on YouTube that focuses on how Londoners are affected by HIV; mindfulness-based relapse prevention for chemsex, aimed at reducing harmful drug use in gay and bisexual men; and an awareness-raising programme around HIV prevention, testing and stigma for people aged over 50 in Wiltshire.
Innovative, community-led interventions have a significant role to play in limiting the spread of HIV by targeting at-risk groups, including gay and bisexual men, black and minority ethnic groups (BAME), and prisoners, Public Health England said.
Projects funded by the Public Health England (PHE) HIV Innovation Fund reached around 170,000 people at-risk of, or living with HIV in 2017-2018. The projects include online campaigns, outreach, testing initiatives, support groups and media and art projects.
