The AFAO-NAPWA Education Team is responsible for the design and delivery an annual program of activities comprising social marketing, social media, print and web-based resources, health promotion policy and strategic leadership, and training and capacity building for AFAO's and NAPWA's state and territory member organisations.

The campaigns and resources, although produced centrally, are implemented through AFAO's and NAPWA's member organisations (i.e. state and territory the AIDS councils/GLBTI health organisations, and the PLHIV organisations).

Some key elements of this year's program of work include:

Fear Less Live More campaign

This campaign is a multi-phased project that aims to the address issue of HIV stigma and discrimination.

The first phase of this campaign targeted gay and other homosexually active men and addressed issues specific to how HIV stigma and discrimination plays out within the gay community, which is mainly in the sexual and romantic domains (i.e. casual sex and relationships), while the this year's phase will be concentrating on the impact of HIV stigma on HIV-positive people from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PLHIV, and heterosexual PLHIV.

PLHIV and Modifiable Risk Factors for Co-morbidities

(working title only)

The improvements in the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs has led to greatly decreased mortality and morbidity among PLHIV in Australia. However, there is now incontestable evidence that even among PLWHA who take ARVs, there is an increased risks of developing other diseases (co-morbidities) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteopenia, osteoporosis, renal disease and certain types of cancers.

The risks of developing such co-morbidities-and delaying the onset of them-can be reduced significantly by modifying certain behavioural risk factors, such as ceasing smoking, maintaining good nutrition, increasing exercise or activity, maintaining good sexual health, vaccination, and reducing drug and alcohol intake, and through more regular clinical monitoring and screening. Consequently, the AFAO-NAPWA Education Team will this year be developing a set of social marketing and information resources to increase the knowledge and skills of PLHIV to better manage and maintain their health, minimize the likelihood of developing these co-morbidities, and improve their overall quality of life.

Websites

ANET staff will also be developing a two websites over the coming months, one on the sexual transmission of hepatitis C (HCV) and a web version of highly popular booklet, HIV Positive Gay Sex.

Conference 

The biennial National Gay Men's HIV Health Promotion Conference in will be held in May 2012, although the exact dates and venue for the conference is yet to be confirmed. Check back for further details.