AFAO: Leaders in the HIV community response

Strategic Directions 2011 - 2015

AFAO’s strategic plan, Strategic Directions 2011 – 2015, was developed following consultation with AFAO member organisations, staff and stakeholders. It maps out directions for AFAO and reflects a shared vision for AFAO's future.

Download full document (PDF - 140kb)

Our vision

Living in a world with HIV/AIDS; working for a world without HIV/AIDS.

Our role

AFAO is the national federation for the HIV community response. We provide leadership, coordination and support to Australia’s policy, advocacy and health promotion response to HIV/AIDS. Internationally we contribute to the development of effective policy and programmatic responses to HIV/AIDS at the global level, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.

Priority communities

AFAO’s work is primarily directed towards population groups where HIV or the risk of HIV is most prevalent or where there are significant emerging issues, namely: people living with HIV;   gay men and other men who have sex with men; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; sex workers; people who inject drugs; people from (or who travel to) high prevalence countries; and people in custodial settings.

Values which guide our work

At the centre of our work is our commitment to:

• respecting the dignity of all people

• respecting and valuing diversity and promoting the equality of all people

• acknowledging the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first Australians and respecting their communities’ traditions, views and ways of life

• empowerment of positive people and affected communities and supporting their ownership and self-determined control of the response to HIV/AIDS

• enhancing the human rights of all communities and populations affected by HIV

• promoting and supporting harm reduction principles and the Ottawa Charter

• recognising the social determinants of health

• building and facilitating evidence-informed approaches to policy development, advocacy and health promotion

• being accountable to the communities we are part of - which we work with, represent and serve