Last updated on: 22 July 2026
Aidsfonds is proud to announce the Acthivate Fund, a new pooled funding mechanism that strengthens community-led HIV responses for and by men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans communities in contexts where access to healthcare remains severely restricted.
To catalyse the Acthivate Fund, Aidsfonds is committing €3.7 million in flexible funding directly to community-led organisations over the next four years, laying a foundation for a collective effort that puts communities at the centre of the response.
Our investment is just the beginning. At a time when community-led organisations are facing unprecedented pressure, we invite donors and partners to join us in safeguarding hard-won progress and building a stronger, more resilient HIV response.
Why Acthivate?
MSM and trans communities continue to face disproportionate rates of HIV infection and significant barriers to healthcare. Historically, HIV prevention and treatment services for these communities, as well as efforts to strengthen healthcare providers’ capacity to deliver inclusive and high-quality care, have been driven largely by community-led organisations and peer outreach initiatives. However, the organisations that have long sustained these efforts are now facing growing pressure. Funding cuts, hostile political environments, criminalisation, and shrinking civic space are threatening their ability to provide essential services and champion human rights.
Abrupt funding shifts such as the suspension of US funding in 2025 pushed the global HIV response into a crisis and marked a new operating reality for community-led organisations. A structural trend is seen, the amount of official development assistance provided by OECD DAC members decreased by 23.1%, which is the largest drop ever recorded in a single year.
The impact of these shifts is already visible. Cuts to PEPFAR funding for instance have had severe consequences for HIV service delivery. According to amfAR, investment in prevention sharply reduced, and with 51% less funding available 43% of service providers has to stop providing at least one prevention service. At least 1,700 health facilities have closed, while 73% of service providers have been forced to discontinue at least one component of their HIV programmes, disproportionately affecting key populations, including MSM and trans people.
The Acthivate Fund is developed through extensive consultations with MSM and trans community representatives. They consistently highlighted the urgent need for flexible, accessible funding to sustain HIV-related health services, reach underserved community members, and advocate for their inclusion in existing health systems.
Acthivate is created to respond to this need.
Funding community-led solutions
Acthivate will provide urgent funding to established MSM- and trans-led organisations operating in restrictive and criminalised settings, supporting:
- Community-led HIV-related healthcare service delivery;
- Strategic advocacy;
- Integration of services in existing health systems.
The Fund will not only address immediate health needs but also demonstrate effective community-led approaches that can strengthen and influence existing health system responses over the long term. Acthivate will provide flexible support, recognising that strong organisations need flexible resources to deliver impact and sustain their work.
A core feature of Acthivate is its participatory grantmaking approach. Community members will play a central role in making funding decisions and shaping the direction of the Fund, ensuring that resources are directed towards the needs and solutions identified by the people most affected by HIV.
Where we will work
Acthivate will initially focus on Uganda, Nigeria, and selected countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) and South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) regions, where strong community-led organisations are already driving change under challenging circumstances.
Timeline
A call for proposals will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2026, with grants expected to begin in 2027.
Join us in creating change!
Acthivate is more than a fund. It is a collective commitment to ensuring that MSM and trans communities can continue to lead the HIV response in the places where they are needed most.
By joining Acthivate, you become part of a pooled funding mechanism that channels resources directly towards community-led organisations. By pooling resources, we can respond faster, invest more strategically, increase impact, reduce barriers and ensure that MSM and trans communities have the resources they need to thrive. Together, we can provide flexible resources where they are most urgently needed and support community-led solutions that are grounded in lived experience.
We invite donors and partners to join us in sustaining community led health services. Your contribution does more than add to the pool; it amplifies collective impact. It strengthens organisations, leaders, and movements that continue to deliver services, drive advocacy, and create change in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Invest in Acthivate. Invest in community-led solutions. Invest in an HIV response that leaves no one behind.
Get in touch to learn more or explore partnership opportunities: partnerships@aidsfonds.nl.
Photo credits: Cynthia R. Matonhodze
