As the Pacific region faces expanding HIV epidemics, traditional facility-based testing models are no longer sufficient to close the diagnostic gap. This session brings together diverse professionals—including clinicians, surveillance officers, and community navigators—to share honest, "off-the-record" insights through a World Café format designed to bridge professional silos.
The first 45 minutes will feature three "Anchor Abstracts" showcasing regional evidence from Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea on innovative, decentralised models aimed at reaching first-time testers and hidden populations. Drawing on evidence presented, the session examines the transition of testing from hospitals to community-led safe spaces and evening "Sunset" health hubs, the integration of screening into antenatal care, and the use of peer-led outreach for immediate PrEP commencement. This will be followed by a 45-minute rotation where participants explore how these models are being adapted to unique Pacific contexts to close the gap between exposure and diagnosis, applying these lessons across five specific domains of the HIV responses.
- Evaluate decentralised clinical models, specifically the integration of rapid point-of-care screening into community-based Antenatal Care (ANC) and the challenges of operationalizing these policies at the provincial level.
- Analyse the role of community-led safe spaces and evening hubs in increasing testing demand and improving access for key populations by providing services outside traditional health facilities.
- Identify innovative peer-led outreach strategies, such as virtual interventions on online platforms and community-based PrEP initiation, to effectively reach hidden and marginalized youth.
- Engage in cross-disciplinary "Talanoa" (open conversation) using the World Café format to surface systemic tensions and service delivery gaps that do not appear in official national reports.
- Apply regional evidence from PNG and Vanuatu to bridge the gap between exposure and diagnosis across five core domains: community engagement, diagnostics, surveillance, treatment, and prevention.
