There are 7,137 Singapore residents known to be living with HIV, according to the latest data released by the Communicable Diseases Agency. But while advancements in treatment, earlier diagnosis, and greater awareness allow people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives, late diagnosis remains a concern, says Chronos Kwok, executive director of Action for Aids Singapore (AfA).
Although there have been fewer new infections in recent years, the rate of decrease has been slowing down due to gaps in testing uptake, persistent stigma, and uneven access to prevention tools, he adds. Epidemiologically, HIV in Singapore continues to affect a disproportionate number of men—in particular gay men, bisexual men, and men who have sex with men.
Kwok first became involved with AfA as a volunteer counsellor at the Anonymous Testing Service, Singapore’s largest and longest-running anonymous HIV test site, over two decades ago. He formally joined in 2019 to oversee the Men who have Sex with Men programme and the Anonymous Testing Service, and assumed his current appointment in 2024.
Founded in 1988, AfA aims to end HIV transmission and Aids as a public health threat by 2030. Its key services include community-based HIV education and outreach, public education, anonymous HIV testing, and peer support for people living with HIV and linkage to care.
Over the years, outreach efforts have shifted from broad, one-size-fits-all messaging to targeted, community-led approaches that focus on digital outreach and peer-based engagement.
“The key to success today is having the ability to meet people where they are both physically and in the online space.”
Chronos Kwok on respecting people’s journeys
That said, the registered charity has been operating in an increasingly complex environment as HIV is no longer seen as an emergency. “This can make it harder to sustain attention and funding even though the work is far from done. In addition, the needs of people living with HIV have diversified. They now encompass mental health, ageing, employment, and long-term well-being.”
It is why his biggest challenge lies in balancing urgency with sustainability. An equilibrium will allow the organisation to respond quickly to community needs while building systems that will last beyond one funding cycle.
Kwok advocates for legal and policy frameworks to be revised because he believes that the current system limits access to prevention and testing. “Criminalisation, confidentiality concerns, and entrenched structural stigma create powerful barriers to early testing and sustained engagement with care. They undermine broader public health goals,” he avers.
To start, we ought to further normalise routine HIV testing, strengthen protection against discrimination, and guarantee affordable, accessible prevention and care.
Change can also comprise greater support for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a risk-reduction treatment against HIV, he notes. “Access to PrEP in Singapore remains uneven and constrained. For many who would benefit most, cost, limited availability, and gaps in information continue to stand in the way.”
In addition to broadening access to generic PrEP, integrating PrEP delivery into routine healthcare and investing in public education should be moved to the top of the policy agenda, Kwok suggests. He hopes for a national PrEP programme to be enacted to address systemic barriers at scale.
“Without decisive policy leadership, we risk leaving the most vulnerable behind and may miss a critical opportunity to end new infections.”
Photography Mun Kong
Art direction Ed Harland
Hair Vic Hwang using Kevin Murphy
Makeup Rina Sim using MAC
Photography assistant Alfred Phang
