Partnerships for National and International Action

Family Health International (Thailand)

Partnership between government and community-based organisations has been heralded as a hallmark of the Australian response to HIV. Other countries are frequently daunted by the complexity of current Australian arrangements but are urged by international agencies and others to emulate this response and have difficulty in understanding how to get a handle on the Australian experience. Edward Reis, in his paper "Partnerships: for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health", draws on his wide experience in the region and as secretary for the Australian National Council on HIV/AIDS and Related Diseases to explain the origins and underpinnings of the Australian model. "Along with a number of gay community members, it was recognised by a few key government officials that, in order to be effective, the response to this virus must be driven by the understandings and shared experiences of the highly marginalised and stigmatised group that it was affecting". The recent rise of Hepatitis C has required patient coaxing by a number of intermediaries to forge some sense of community among a disparate and diffused group, and to establish a representative organisation that can participate in the development of a national strategy for control of Hepatitis C. The same has been true at earlier stages with sex workers, drug users and PLWHA, where individuals within and outside government have taken the initiative as catalysts to help shape groups that can give voice to their needs. There is nothing within Australian culture that has made this a necessary feature of the landscape; partnerships did not simply arise on their own, but took hard work by many dedicated individuals. The same process has occurred elsewhere in the region.

Masaki Inaba pointed out that the arrival of AIDS on the Japanese government's agenda had provided the occasion for gay and lesbian groups to develop. Testimony from other countries indicates that international organisations have often served as catalysts in bringing together governments needing groups with which to consult and the potential leaders of these groups. Skills building sessions at ICAAPs have focused on providing the necessary capacities.