NAPWA Annual Report 2004-05

From the President's report by Gabe McCarthy:

AS POSITIVE PEOPLE continue to face the challenges and complexities of living with HIV, NAPWA continues to work to ensure we advocate effectively to improve the health outcomes and lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in Australia and, increasingly, in our region. Rising to these challenges has led to another year of growth and change for NAPWA.

NAPWA’s portfolio structure has long been the primary driver of our advocacy work. All portfolios have continued to grow and develop their working group structures to capture a diversity of lived experience and expertise to inform our work. The commitment of the national portfolio convenors, the many working group volunteers, and the secretariat staff in supporting these groups is a notable demonstration of the benefits of working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.

In the past year, NAPWA has been successful in securing funding support to provide technical assistance to further develop positive groups and organisations in the Asia-Pacific region. Most notable of these is the AusAID [1]Australian Agency for International Development. Australian Government agency responsible for managing the Australian Government's official overseas aid program. HIV/AIDS Partnership Initiative (AHAPI [2]AusAID HIV and AIDS Partnership Initiative.) grant from AusAID, which will enable NAPWA to work with partner organisations in Papua New Guinea, in Timor-Leste, and with the Asia Pacific Network of Positive People (APN+ [3]Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. ) in a structured and planned way over the next three years.

The collaboration between the treatments and international portfolios in engaging in international treatments advocacy is also a new and large piece of work for these portfolios.

Importantly, all this international work is being done in a way which does not compromise any of NAPWA’s national work, which remains our number one priority.

The relationship between the NAPWA Board, portfolio convenors and working group volunteers would not work without the essential practical support provided by the NAPWA secretariat. It is the staff of the secretariat who ensure that communications flow effectively, meetings happen, and most importantly that there is follow-through on work emerging from the portfolios. As a consequence it has also led to NAPWA being responsible for producing thought-provoking, creative, and well-honed policy and advocacy positions on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Juggling priorities and capitalising on new opportunities to resource our work has led to a significant restructure in the secretariat, introducing new positions as well as the creation of the HIV Living/International Unit. Jo Watson’s leadership of the secretariat, her collaborative working style with the NAPWA Board, and her ability to work hard to develop effective working relationships with outside agencies and groups is a key factor in many of NAPWA’s recent successes.

A significant achievement for NAPWA this year has been the critical and considerable input into the development of the Fifth National HIV/AIDS Strategy. While at times the development process was frustrating, NAPWA was committed to ensuring a strong perspective from HIV-positive people was heard at every opportunity. The next step in this process is the development of an implementation plan for this strategy, and NAPWA continues to actively engage in this process.

Vice-president David Menadue continues to be the HIV-positive representative on the HIV/AIDS and STI [4][Sexually Transmissible (or Transmitted) Infection] Infections spread by the transfer of organisms from person to person during sexual contact. Also called venereal disease (VD) (an older public health term) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). subcommittee of MACASHH [5]Ministerial Advisory Committee on AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatides. The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing’s high level expert committee, providing advice on issues relevant to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmissible infections and hepatitis C. . I feel fortunate to work with such a skilled positive advocate as David, and am pleased that the NAPWA secretariat can provide support and resourcing to ensure that David is a highly effective member of this committee.

This year has also seen the restructure of the NAPWA website. We have developed a new look website that better reflects the increasing importance of the NAPWA site as a tool for communicating the work of NAPWA to our member organisations, HIV positive individuals and the broader HIV/AIDS communities. I encourage people to check out the site and take advantage of the information about NAPWA’s work that is now easier to access.

None of this work could happen without the support of NAPWA’s member organisations, the state- based PLWHA organisations and groups that provide us with the direct links to the positive community. In the same way that NAPWA has continued to grow this year, so have many of the state- based groups. Not all of this growth has been in funding or staff numbers, but it is reflected in a constantly improving capacity to achieve effective outcomes for their members – HIV-positive people.

The continuing strength of NAPWA as an organisation ultimately flows from the HIV-positive community, and I would like to acknowledge the continued commitment of positive people to working, both collaboratively and individually, to ensure that our voice is not just heard, but that we are listened to as effective leaders in Australia’s partnership response to the HIV epidemic.

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