NAPWA

The sponsor company of Sculptra in Australia, Sanofi- Aventis, has finally had confirmation from Medicare that the two item numbers for the injecting procedure have been approved.

The company will be sending advice to relevant doctors shortly, but the expectation is that the listing will be from 1 July. read more »

Research conducted by the Kirby Institute at UNSW (formerly the National Centre in HIv epidemiologyThe branch of medical science that deals with the study of incidence and distribution and control of a disease in a population. and ClinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. Research) has shown that the annual incidence of anal cancer in Australia has increased by almost 50% in the last 20 years. read more »

The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections reports important advances in HIV treatments and clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. care. The 18th CROI was held in Boston in March. Neil McKellar-Stewart highlights some of the good bits. read more »

Today’s announcement that a clinical trialA clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. trial is a research study to answer specific questions about vaccines or new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people. Trials are in four phases: Phase IA clinical trial designed to establish whether an experimental drug is safe for humans to take. Phase I studies determine the metabolism and pharmacologic actions of drugs in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and look for early evidence of effectiveness; these studies may include either people with HIV, HIV-negative volunteers, or both tests a new drug or treatment in a small group; Phase IIA smaller clinical trial designed to establish whether a drug is effective. Phase II studies are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug for a particular indication or indications in patients with the disease or condition under study and to determine the common short-term side effects and risks. If there is evidence that the drug is effective, a Phase III study is undertaken, with a larger number of participaants, to confirm this. expands the study to a larger group of people; Phase IIIA large clinical trial designed to establish whether a drug is effective and safe enough for widespread use. Phase III studies include expanded controlled and uncontrolled trials after preliminary evidence suggesting effectiveness of the drug has been obtained, and are intended to gather additional information to evaluate the overall benefit-risk relationship of the drug and provide and adequate basis for physician labeling. expands the study to an even larger group of people; and Phase IVPost-marketing studies to delineate additional information including the drug's risks, benefits, and optimal use. takes place after the drug or treatment has been licensed and marketed. has found that HIV antiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. treatment significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission is welcome news, the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWHA) has said. read more »

If you or a member of your family is HIV positive and you have applied for Australian residence, or considering whether to do so, it is advisable to get legal assistance. The following organisations may be able to assist or put you in touch with a migration agent or lawyer with experience in this field.

Legal advice read more »

• HIV/AIDS Legal Centre (NSW) www.halc.org.au

If your application is rejected, you may have a right to apply for a review of the decision by the Migration Review Tribunal, or the Refugee Review Tribunal. In certain circumstances it may also be possible to seek a review by the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia. You should get advice from a migration agent or lawyer. read more »

If you are aware of your HIV positive status when applying for a visa, it is important toinclude as much evidence as possible with the visa application to highlight compassionate grounds for granting residency to you, and to show that granting you a permanent visa would not impose an “undue” cost on the Australian community. read more »

The Health Requirement may be waived for some visa classes, where there are
“compassionate grounds” to do so, and where granting permanent residence to the person would be unlikely to result in: read more »

• undue prejudice to the access to health care or community services of any
  Australian citizen or permanent resident; or
• undue cost to the Australian community.

All permanent visa applicants aged 15 years or over are required to have an HIV blood test.

Members of a permanent visa applicant’s family who are over 15 and listed as dependants on the visa applicaion are also required to be tested. read more »

This AFAOAustralian Federation of AIDS Organisations. AFAO is the peak non-government organisation representing Australia's community-based response to HIV/AIDS. AFAO's work includes education, policy, advocacy and international projects. Factsheet, March 2011, provides general information about how an HIV positive diagnosis may affect your own or a family member’s application for permanent residence in Australia. The policies are quite complicated and the process of applying for a permanent visa for someone with HIV can be daunting. read more »