NAPWA

NAPWHA regularly receives requests to endorse or support research in the area of HIV. Such support may take the form of active involvement as an investigatorA medical researcher in charge of carrying out a clinical trialA clinical 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 I tests a new drug or treatment in a small group; Phase II expands the study to a larger group of people; Phase III expands the study to an even larger group of people; and Phase IV takes place after the drug or treatment has been licensed and marketed. 's protocolA study plan on which all clinical trials are based. The plan is carefully designed to safeguard the health of the participants as well as answer specific research questions. A protocol describes what types of people may participate in the trial; the schedule of tests, procedures, medications, and dosages; and the length of the study. While in a clinical trial, participants following a protocol are seen regularly by the research staff to monitor their health and to determine the safety and effectiveness of their treatment ., help in designing a research project or simply assistance with recruitment. NAPWHA recognises the importance of research to improving the health and well-being of PLHIVPerson (or people) Living with HIV. This term is now preferred over the older PLWHA. and in most cases is willing to provide support where it is able. read more »

The Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference 2010 (22nd Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine) is now on in Sydney, Again it is running back-to-back with the 2010 Australasian Sexual Health Conference with a full day of overlap on Wednesday 20 October 2010. read more »

On December 1, 2010 the first World AIDS Day Dinner (WADD) charity dinner will take place at Sydney, Australia’s Royal Randwick Race Course. A glamorous evening affair, the charity dinner will largely benefit Australia’s longest-running HIV charity, The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation with a portion of the proceeds from the live auction going to St. Vincent’s Hospital Patient Support Fund. read more »

Katherine Leane's warm tribute to Gabe McCarthy who passed away on 30th June this year. read more »

The federal government’s sixth national HIV and STI[Sexually Transmissible (or Transmitted) Infection] Infections spread by the transfer of organisms from person to person during sexual contact. Also called venereal disease (VD) (an older public health term) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). strategies have been welcomed for their human rights-based approach to HIV and the law and their focus on an ‘enabling environment’ to bring about positive change. read more »

While welcoming the launch late last month of the new HIV strategy, there is also concern within the sector that without effective implementation, the strategy’s goals cannot be achieved. read more »

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. hosted the launch of the national HIV strategy by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler. The initiative brings together state and federal governments to target communities with increasing HIV infection rates, including young Australians traveling overseas and indigenous communities struggling with injecting drug use. watch video »

NAPWHA has welcomed the official launch of the Sixth National HIV Strategy this morning, but warned that without an effective implementation plan, the strategy’s goals cannot be achieved. read more »

Following the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference on 22 April, all states and territories along with the Commonwealth have endorsed the five new national strategies for blood-borne virusesA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs[Sexually Transmissible (or Transmitted) Infection] Infections spread by the transfer of organisms from person to person during sexual contact. Also called venereal disease (VD) (an older public health term) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). ).

NAPWHA participated in the drafting and development process, along with other stakeholders in the HIV partnership. read more »

The Seroconversion Study collects both quantitative and qualitative data from mainly homosexual men who have recently been diagnosed with HIV. Men are referred to the online questionaire through clinics and HIV organisations providing services to men who are newly diagnosed. Men completing the online questionaire volunteer for the more extended depth interview. read more »