Sexual health advocacy and HIV awareness NGO Checkpoint Malta is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

The organisation has achieved many feats in such a short period of time. These include the launch of a programme of free community-led HIV-testing sessions, as well as working on ‘artivist’ campaigns by merging art and activism together in the ‘We Are Positive’ project, apart from the ongoing work to dispel stigma tied to HIV and sexual health.

The NGO was founded in 2019 to counteract the climate in Malta surrounding sex and HIV at the time, as many living with HIV felt especially isolated due to their status and the public lacking general knowledge on the subject. This is not to say that we’ve accomplished all we’ve set out to do, as the fight against stigma is a constant one and the work is far from over.

We are currently organising community sessions inviting people living with HIV to come together and speak about their experiences. The last session took place on Tuesday, as part of Malta Pride, but another session is planned for next month.

Another part of our mission was to ensure that everyone gets access to the medication they need, both in terms of treatment and prevention. As regards treatment, it has been a rocky road.

Activists at the LOVE sign ‘artivist’ installation in St Julian’s as part of the ‘We Are Positive’ project.

When Checkpoint Malta was founded, people living with HIV were on outdated regimens, taking upwards of six pills a day, while the rest of the world had moved on to single-pill regimens. The change eventually came, but not without a major hiccup, having been preceded by what many of us now refer to as “The Shortage”.

In 2021, many people living with HIV ended up without their life-saving medication. The reason? Complications derived from COVID-19 and Brexit (which was decided in 2016 and came into effect in January 2020).

During that time, we started a crowd-sourcing campaign, with people coming forward with any surplus of medication to share with those who had nothing.

It was a true testament to the positive community in Malta who rallied together when the health sector failed them.

Another part of our mission was to ensure that everyone gets access to the medication they need, both in terms of treatment and prevention

Checkpoint Malta will continue to strive for those living in Malta to access treatment in Malta as it not only protects the person living with HIV, but also the local community due to ‘U=U’ or ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’. This means that a person living with HIV on continued, sustained treatment cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners as the virus is at suppressed levels.

In terms of preventative treatment i.e. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), the waiting and the battle rages on.

When the government was re-elected in 2022, one of the electoral promises in the Labour manifesto was the introduction of PrEP and PEP to the national formulary. Two years on, and with over a 100 new HIV diagnoses locally to boot − making us one of the countries with the most new HIV diagnoses in the EU − there is still no sign of free PrEP and PEP. Nor is there any sign of the elusive sexual health policy.

We once again appeal to the government to make good on its promise and introduce free PrEP and PEP as soon as possible. PrEP, which is taken before sexual activity to prevent HIV, costs about €57 for a 30-day supply, while PEP, which is taken after sexual activity and which needs to be taken within 72 hours from sexual activity, costs over €400. The staggering costs make the latter inaccessible to many vulnerable groups who need it most, while the price of PrEP is also a barrier for many.

Countries that have introduced the much-needed medication for free, or at a highly discounted price, have seen the rate of new HIV diagnoses plummet. This would be a game changer for Malta’s HIV diagnoses rate.

Marc Buhagiar is president, Checkpoint Malta.

Checkpoint Malta will continue to operate its community-led HIV testing, which started in 2022, with sessions taking place in Valletta, Paola and Gozo. Testing is anonymous and run by trained, non-judgmental volunteers. Those wanting to book an appointment can e-mail testing@checkpoint.mt.

The NGO is always looking for new volunteers to join its movement of change, whether as volunteer testers or joining the executive team, supporting them in an administrative capacity for a better Malta. Those interested may send an e-mail to info@checkpoint.mt to register their interest.