About NAPWA

Founded in 1989, The National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) is Australia’s peak non-government organisation representing community-based groups of people living with HIV.

NAPWA provides advocacy, effective representation, policy, health promotion and outreach on a national level. Our work includes a range of health and education initiatives that promote the highest quality standard of care for HIV positive people. NAPWA contributes to clinical [1]Pertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. and social research into the incidence, impact and management of HIV. We strive to minimise the adverse personal and social effects of HIV by championing the participation of positive people at all levels of the organisation’s activity.

Our work is funded by:

• specific program funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and other government agencies;
• unrestricted educational grants from the HIV pharmaceutical industry;
• charitable donations and bequests.

Our structure

NAPWA has a secretariat based in Sydney, which undertakes a range of policy, health promotion, advocacy and support work. This work is overseen by a Board of Directors elected by our membership from around the country. The governance of NAPWA is open only to people with HIV.

The current occupants of Board, Convenor and staff positions can be found here [2].

Our membership

NAPWA has several categories of membership. Full membership is reserved for the recognised organisation of HIV positive people in each state or territory. Associate membership is open to other positive organisations or networks and individuals living with HIV. Affiliate membership is open to any organisation, group or individual regardless of serostatus. Honorary membership may be granted in recognition of the significant contribution of particular HIV positive individuals to furthering the interests of people living with HIV nationally. All membership applications are decided by a vote of the representatives of the full members of the Association.

Our work

The secretariat carries out a range of advocacy, policy, health promotion and outreach work to further address the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS:

• HIV Living [3]
• Health, Treatments and Research [4]
• Positive Living magazine [5]
• Treataware [6] (formerly ATPA)
• Positive Women's Network [7]
• Positive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Network [8]

What we do

NAPWA:

• represents the needs of HIV positive people, especially those dealing with treatment issues, clinical trials, disability and support services, welfare issues and health promotion strategies
• lobbies government on a range of HIV-specific and broader health and social policy issues
• collaborates with service providers to ensure that the current needs of positive people are met
• participates in community-based education and health promotion initiatives
• develops and contributes to policy across the health and welfare sectors
• fosters partnerships with government, the research community, HIV clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry and other consumer health and disability groups
• assists state and local HIV positive organisations and groups to undertake advocacy, education and policy work

Our work in the region

NAPWA also assists other groups in our region to have the rights of people with HIV recognised and addressed and, wherever possible, to have the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) principles implemented. NAPWA is a member of the Asian Pacific Network of Positive People and continues to support the work of Igat Hope [9]Organisation representing people living with HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea. ('Igat Hope' means 'There is hope' in Tok Pisin, the national language of PNG)., the national organisation for people living with HIV in Papua New Guinea.

Attachment	Size	Type
NAPWA Strategic Directions 2009-2012 [13]	135.18 KB	PDF
NAPWA Rules as at November 2009 [14]	50.74 KB	PDF
NAPWA Brochure - health, treatments, research [15]	203.75 KB	PDF
NAPWA Brochure [16]	109.18 KB	PDF