Victorian Budget to Further Fund PRONTO!

Today’s release of the 2015-16 Victorian Budget includes news that PRONTO!, the rapid HIV
testing service offered by the Victorian AIDS Council (VAC), will be further funded over the next four years.
This is a welcome announcement with PRONTO!’s future previously unclear beyond August of this year.
PRONTO! was launched in August 2013 as a two-year trial aimed at delivering a peer-led rapid HIV testing
service targeting men who have sex with other men (MSM). PRONTO! began offering rapid syphilis testing
in 2014 and began holding outreach testing sessions in the lead up to AIDS 2014. PRONTO! has continued to
offer outreach testing sessions at venues around Melbourne as well as testing sessions at both Midsumma
Festival’s Carnival Day and ChillOut Festival in Daylesford.
“PRONTO! was the first free rapid testing site in Victoria, and with over 3,000 tests delivered to date, we’ve
seen a fantastic degree of community support in that time,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth. “This announcement
ensures that PRONTO! can continue to be a safe and supportive space that eliminates barriers to testing by
offering a fast, free, and convenient service.”
“It’s encouraging that the government has made this commitment to ending HIV and a testament to the
success of this peer-led community initiative,” he added. “PRONTO! is critical in promoting regular HIV
testing amongst at risk gay men and other MSM. VAC is excited to have the opportunity to continue to
develop PRONTO! in the future.”