Do you think WAAC should amend it's rules of governance so that the role of "Positive Rep on the Board" can be changed from being an unelected "appointment for life" into an Elected Role, with the requirement to engage with the HIV Community?
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Letters to the Editor
Letters Out
Politics

Lord James Rendell
Wed
04
Jul
HIV Crisis in WA
- Details
- Category: Fagmedia
- Written by President, Fagmedia.com
Page 1 of 2
A Four Point Plan to address the AIDS Crisis in Western Australia.
This 4 point plan is a clear and concrete framework, that if implemented would assist in improving the lives of positive people and reducing the overwhelming negative mental health impacts that are being experienced by positive people who are forced to endure cultures of discrimination and isolation in WA. This simple plan would also go a long way towards assisting positive people to be less like 2nd class citizens in Australia's richest state.
1. Improving access to HIV medication & Doctors.
Since 2004 I have travelled extensively overseas through 5 continents and on the east coast and as a result of this experience I see evidence that WA lags behind not just the rest of Australia but some 3rd world countries have better access to HIV medications, than does Perth.
Despite of the fact that at public events the M Clinic as listed as one of the WA AIDS Council's (WAAC) achievements for positive people, the fact that it does not employ a s100 prescriber makes this not only the only AIDS Council run Health Service in Australia not to do so but also means in real terms that the M Clinic is really only accessed by a small subset of positive men.
The Employment of a S100 Doctor would enhance the M Clinic's reputation as being positive friendly, positive people would be able to have a reason to engage with this high profile AIDS Council service, while adding a substantial structural improvement to the ability of positive people to access HIV medication.
There are many defenders of the WA Government's unwavering commitment to it's public hospital access only approach, however, what is always conveniently not described is the fact that many HIV+ people who attend RPH only ever have a consult with a "Junior In training" Doctor who knows less than the patient about HIV.
Continuity of Care is listed as a key factor in people being able to live well with HIV while adhering to treatment regimes. This point is also reinforced by the fact that the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) has a current treatment campaign, not being implemented in WA, which does raise the very valid point that having HIV medications only available during business hours at public hospitals is not productive for the long term health and wellbeing of PLHIV.

2. The Establishment of a professionally run "by positive people for positive people" NAPWA peak body to provide a voice to advocate for positive people in WA .
(This is currently in the discussion stage being led by the WA AIDS Council and NAPWA)
Generally, the only time positive people see information printed in newsprint in Perth is when it is written from AIDS Council staff. It should not be the role of the AIDS Council to be the sole spokesperson speaking on behalf of positive people. If the AIDS Council and NAPWA are serious about their desire for a mature and empowered positive community then they will indeed support the establishment of a properly managed peak body to represent positive people and once established "they" should not allow a repeat of the past mistake of HAPAN, in which a small group of narrowly interested people were able to subvert the business of the peak body into being an invite only dinner club.
Having a properly incorporated peak body will also go a long way to reducing the fragmentation that is harming the mental health of positive people in WA.
WAAC should not have a "direct" role in decision making about the establishment of the new peak body, now that NAPWA have announced in Out in Perth that HAPAN has closed, however, WAAC could use it's influence within the WA community to ensure that the process is truly participatory and inclusive so that the "usual suspects" are not given permission to continue "their" divisive exclusionary practices that are so harmful to the health of the positive community.
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