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.

No upcoming events

• Visa, Migration Discussion Forum: Part 2 – December 2022
  The second installment of the online comunity forum was an opportunity for PANA and PLAN to discuss the lived experience and visa journeys of people living with HIV, and related mental health challenges.
• Visa, Migration Discussion Forum – October 2022.
  This online community discussion forum invited PLAN & PANA to learn more about what it means for people living with HIV to apply for student, work and partner visa processes, and another important pathways like health waiver process. We were joined by guest panellist from HALC (HIV/AIDS Legal Centre)!

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)