The Australian theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is Now More Than Ever. To mark the event, NAPWHA asked a wide range of community advocates and the leaders of our member organisations and partners in the response to reflect on what the theme means to them. These short but immensely powerful quotes not only illustrate how far we have come, they also pose a strong call to action for the future of the HIV sector and our hopes for all people living with HIV in Australia.
The Commonwealth Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, has signalled an intention to work with State and Territory Governments to secure a National Partnership Agreement that will give residents of Australia who are living with HIV and ineligible for Medicare, access to HIV treatment and care in 2021.
Overseas students, workers, and others on temporary visas must pay full price for their healthcare and to buy the antiretroviral medications they rely on to suppress HIV.
For the approximately 800 people living with HIV in Australia on a temporary visa, maintaining effective treatment and care under those circumstances presents a real personal challenge.
Supporting the treatment of people living with HIV in Australia who do not have access to Medicare is not only healthier for those individuals, it is also important to Australia’s public health response and to achieving lower rates of HIV transmission in Australia.
Equitable access to HIV treatments for everyone in Australia is not only necessary for the long term health of the individual, but also to Australia’s commitment to meeting the UN AIDS 95-95-95 targets (95% of people knowing their HIV status, 95% on treatment, and 95% having an undetectable viral load) and to achieve the virtual elimination of HIV transmissions.
“This is great news for this highly vulnerable group,” says Scott Harlum, President of the National Association of People With HIV Australia (NAPWHA). “HIV positive people without access to Medicare will no longer have to rely on personal importation, drug trials or compassionate access arrangements to maintain their health”.
“We commend Minster Hunt for his willingness to resolve this issue, and for his commitment to implementing arrangements for which NAPWHA and others have lobbied hard for more than 20 years.”
Adjunct Professor Darryl O’Donnell from the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) said it was important to note that a person with HIV who is on successful treatment is unable to pass on HIV to a sexual partner.
“HIV is now a successfully treatable condition,” Prof O’Donnell said. “Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) is a current global campaign promoting the universal use of HIV treatment to prevent HIV transmission.”
“But campaigns that encourage regular testing, early diagnosis and immediate treatment are less effective for those without Medicare access because the system isn’t working for them.”
“These new arrangements will grant all people who have HIV access to treatment and care, just as they will demonstrate Australia’s resolve to meet its HIV targets.”
Australian HIV Peer Support Standards have been published by the National Association of People With HIV Australia (NAPWHA) in 2020, aimed at providing an excellent framework to guide people who are living with HIV, either providing or accessing peer support. They also can be used by healthcare providers, community health workers in who provide client services within HIV organisations, or policy makers who are setting performance standards for the provision of peer support.
“Call it peer support, call it peer navigation, call it what you will – these Standards formalise the peer workforce, the strength of community, positive people supporting positive people, lived experience, strength, and shared journeys,” said NAPWHA President, Scott Harlum.
“They represent the evolution and practical implementation of once revolutionary ideas”.
The four Standards outlined in the document seek to ensure that peer support is provided by people living with HIV and that peer supporters will receive excellent training, on-going support and practice monitoring. Moreover, that they will be able to provide peer support that is tailored to the needs of specific populations, including to Indigenous Australians, adolescents and culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Lisa Bastian (Manager, Sexual Health and Blood-Borne Virus Program, at the Government of Western Australia Department of Health) also endorsed the Standards.
“Each standard describes the expected outcomes for people living with HIV who are accessing peer support programs. Importantly, the standards also describe the requisite skills and competencies required of a peer supporter. It also explicitly recognises the need to invest in training and supervision for peer supporters”.
NAPWHA HIV Peer Navigator training in development
Throughout 2020-2021, NAPWHA continue to develop HIV Peer Navigator training, in the format of online learning modules. The aim will be to accredit the course through the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) VET qualifications, to enable that may be delivered via a registered training organisation (RTO).
HIV Peer Support Standards to be launched at the Virtual 2020 HIV Conference
Watch a presentation by the Standards’ co-author, Adrian Ogier (NAPWHA Deputy Director) who will promote the NAPWHA HIV Peer Support Standards next week in a presentation at the Australasian HIV&AIDS Conference held virtually from 16 – 20 November 2020.
He references current exemplars of peer-delivered service delivery that support people living with HIV, including that of Positive Life NSW’sHIV Work Ready program; Living Positive Victoria’sPeer Navigation Program; Positive Women Victoria’s and Queensland Positive People’s (QPP)peer supporters (comprising Peer Navigators, Peer Case Managers, and Peer Facilitators).
The Standards are dedicated to those brave HIV peer supporters who led the way.
Charlie Tredway, NAPWHA Project Officer and passionate community advocate, shares with Dr John Rule (NAPWHA Senior Research Manager) a peer-run and community-led initiative that was developed by NAPWHA to support social connection during the restriction stages of COVID-19 lockdown in Australia from May-September 2020.
Chinwag: Positive Connections was a 12-week series of 1-hour video meetings which ran on Friday evenings from May until September 2020, aiming to create a safe, informative, and inclusive space for social connection. It was hosted by Vanessa Wagner and HIV Peer Supporters from around the country. The initiative responded directly to a NAPWHA survey which was run in April 2020, enquiring into the impact of COVID-19 on people living with HIV where 147 participants responded.
In this interview, Charlie shares with John some of his own personal experiences of mental during the COVID-19 lockdown.
This interview was recorded on 28 October 2020
Virtual 2020 Australasian HIV&AIDS Conference
At the virtually-held Australasian HIV&AIDS Conference (18 – 20 November 2020), Charlie will also share his lived-experience and insights as part of a panel discussion session that will focus on the increasing importance and prominence of mental health during COVID-19. This includes the impact on patients and affected communities as well as providers – either as typical reaction to the stress of living and working in a COVID-19 context but also the challenges of addressing and meeting the needs of people with specific psychological issues (including health care workers) and those with more distinct mental illness and co-morbidities. This will also include a focus on people with HIV, long-term who have been impacted by the current pandemic and resilience/support.
Moreover at the Australasian HIV AIDS Conference, Vanessa Wagner will host a special lunchtime CHINWAG to give conference attendees the opportunity to talk directly with HIV Peer Supporters from around the country; Sarah Feagan (Living Positive Victoria), Ruan Uys (Bobby Goldsmith Foundation), Glenn Ryall (Queensland Positive People), and Charlie Tredway (NAPWHA). The conference event aims to provide a fun and informative hour and hear about health and support delivery viewed through the lens of people living with HIV.
The National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) is Australia’s peak non-government organisation representing community-based groups of people living with HIV across Australia. In this video series, we share the experiences and responses of communities managing and adapting to the unfolding 2020 pandemic.
In this series, Dr John Rule reports back from the NAPWHA members to hear about community stories and community-led responses adapting to life during COVID-19.
Hayden Patterson, Adelaide-based community activist, shares stories about life and times, resilience and community during COVID-19 with Dr John Rule (NAPWHA Senior Research Manager).
Hayden actively contributes to various organisations that encompass a deep passion for social welfare policy reform, advocacy, lobbying, campaigning and activism by bringing substantial lived experience and community service experience spanning several decades. He was President of the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union (AUWU), a Board member of ACOSS (Australian Council of Social Service), and spokesperson for the Economic Media Centre.
They make mention of Anti-Poverty Week, held from 11-17 October 2020 which continued to support the #RaisetheRate campaign led by ACOSS to ensure that unemployment payments never go back to $40 a day.
The National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) is Australia’s peak non-government organisation representing community-based groups of people living with HIV across Australia. In this video series, we share the experiences and responses of communities managing and adapting to the unfolding 2020 pandemic.
In this series, Dr John Rule reports back from the NAPWHA members to hear about community stories and community-led responses adapting to life during COVID-19.
In February 2020, NAPWHA advertised the National Congress of people with HIV (PWHIV) in Australia which has necessarily been postponed until September 2021 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. As a consequence of this delay several members of the advisory group have had to withdraw their participation of this organising group for the congress.
Therefore, the advisory group is seeking expressions of interest from people living with HIV in Australia to contribute their lived experience and skills to the Advisory Group for the 2021 National Congress of people with HIV.
Eligible applicants are encouraged to APPLY now before 13 November 2020.
National Congress 2021
The congress is an initiative of ViiV Healthcare and NAPWHA. NAPWHA is ensuring the Meaningful Involvement of People with HIV (MIPA) in the development and implementation of a National Congress of people with HIV (PWHIV) in Australia. The congress presents an opportunity to bring HIV positive people across the country together to exchange views and ideas to advance the wellbeing of PWHIV in Australia. This forum will be a unique opportunity for HIV positive people in Australia and aims to focus on the Art of Flourishing and living well with HIV.
Scope
The scope of the advisory group will be to provide advice on the format, content, topics, speaker selection, and attendance of this gathering of people with HIV in Australia.
What we are looking for
We are looking for engaging and inspiring people with HIV who are willing to commit to participating in the advisory group for its duration. The advisory group wishes to enhance the representation on the group from any of the following demographics of positive people:
young
recently diagnosed
women
trans and gender diverse
Indigenous
multicultural background
Eligibility
Openly HIV positive and living in Australia
Enthusiasm and skills to ensure a successful event
Available to participate in regular meetings both remotely and in person
Application Process
Please submit an application (in Word format) addressing the following points. (no more than 2 pages)
A brief introduction to you, your experiences, skills and background
What population of people with HIV best reflects you?
Why do you want to participate in the advisory group?
What can you contribute to the advisory group?
How will you share your learning’s from the congress with the diverse HIV population in Australia?
What is your vision for a People with HIV congress?
Please ensure you provide your contact details including which State or Territory in Australia you currently live, email, and contact phone number. If you are currently involved with a HIV organisation providing services to people with HIV, include the name of your organisation and your role/function
