Positive Latinx Australian Network (PLAN)

Led by Community Advocate, Cristian Cortes, who works in collaboration with a founding group of other peers including Oscar Sanchez – PLAN Latinx Australia has been established through NAPWHA and continues to advocate for health literacy and health promotion. The PLAN Latinx Australia group will meet regularly for advocacy work and to support social networks.

Community forum about migration

On Wednesday 26^TH October 6pm (AEDT). For this online community discussion forum NAPWHA invites PLAN members to participate with PANA and a panellist from HALC (HIV/AIDS Legal Centre) to join this session. From this forum, you will get to know what it means for people living with HIV to apply for student, work and partner visa processes. And another important pathway like health waiver process following with Q&A.

Our guest panellist from HALC will explain the visa process for PLHIV, and what is health waiver, followed by Q&A before the end of the session!

This discussion forum is for current PANA and PLAN members only, if you would like to become a member, please email: jimmy@napwha.org.au

It is also a way to exchange conversations relating to HIV and general health – this includes talking about navigating the healthcare system in Australia.

PLAN was founded in 2021 from work and the findings under the NAPWHA HIV Health Literacy Framework project. The Health Literacy Framework project is a community-led project which employs a community member to develop and tailored health promotion for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Community Advocate, Cristian Cortes consulted with community peers to develop the ideas for establishing a national network.

Activities undertaken to establish PLAN:

• In 2021, Community Advocate Cristian Cortes with Oscar Sanchez,  conducted Community Conversations with peer networks from around Australia. This aimed to investigate what works where and how in terms of health literacy (gaps, enablers and opportunities) and improving HIV-related heath outcomes for heterosexual men. These consultations went on to inform a range of health literacy initiatives targeting (or tailored for) latinx people living with HIV.
• Latinx Community Conversations was summarised in a Report available for download [PDF]

From this investigation, the health literacy project aims to implement some project initiates, including: 

• In 2021, a core reference group including Oscar Sanchez will commence formalising discussions around the formation of a NAPWHA-auspiced network.

Video:  NAPWHA Project Officer, Eloise Monteiro presented as part of a Health Literacy Framework project report back to members at the NAPWHA AGM 2021. Community Advocates from the project made announcements of new NAPWHA-auspiced national networks: Jimmy Chen of Positive Asian Network Australia (PANA); Anth McCarthy of HetMAN Australia (Heterosexual Men Advocacy Network); and Cristian Cortes of Positive Latinx Australian  Network (PLAN)