HIV/AIDS access and equity report

HIV/AIDS access and equity report

SYDNEY — On October 31, NSW community services minister Ron Dyer was condemned for failing to show up at the launch of a report into access to the government's Home And Community Care services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

This report found that poverty — experienced by around half of all people living with HIV/AIDS — could be alleviated by access to such services. However, bad or negative experiences and a lack of knowledge about rights and entitlements meant that many were not accessing services to which they are entitled.

The launch was attended by more 60 people, but the organisers were told at the last moment that no "senior enough" representative of the minister's department could come.

"This speaks volumes about how the issue of HIV/AIDS is still denied, ignored, excluded and rejected by governments and the community. We continue to have a problem with the minister's lack of leadership on this issue", said a spokesperson for the report's steering committee.

The report can be found at: .

From GLW issue 296