Our vision:
To live in a world where people with HIV/AIDS have equality of access to world class treatment, therapy and care - and in which transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is eliminated.
You may be a person with HIV/AIDS yourself. You could be the partner, friend or family of someone who has HIV/AIDS. Or maybe you are someone who wants to know more about HIV and AIDS.
The AIDS Action Council is here for you.
The AIDS Action Council continues to strengthen the community response to HIV/AIDS by providing support and education. We aim to promote awareness and understanding or all issues related to HIV and AIDS.
All our services are provided without discrimination and we guarantee confidentiality.
Objectives
The objectives of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT are to:
- counsel, support and identify the needs of persons actually or potentially affected by HIV infection, AIDS or related conditions, recognising that in Australia, men who have sex with men (and their needle-sharing partners) are those most affected by HIV and thus deserving of the highest priority of our work
- advocate for measures to meet those needs, including the recognition of the human rights of those affected in general, and the rights of the gay community in particular
- educate the wider community about HIV infection, AIDS related conditions, giving particular attention to the relationship between HIV infection and homosexuality, injecting drug use and sex work in Australia
- provide relief and support, on the basis of need, to alleviate suffering, hardship, poverty and/or discrimination attributable to HIV infection, AIDS or related conditions
History
The first meeting of the ACT AIDS Action Committee was held in 1983 when a group of gay men living in the ACT met to respond to the looming AIDS crisis. This group then formalised and established itself as the AIDS Action Council of the ACT in March 1985. The AIDS Action Council of the ACT became an Incorporate Association in 1986. View the Council's Constitution...
Within a year of being established, the Council recognised the need to work closely with the affected communities. Specific projects were established for gay men, injecting drug users, sex workers and people with haemophilia. Care teams, treatments information and counselling were provided to people with HIV and AIDS and their significant others. Form this time also, general community awareness, information and advocacy became vital work for the agency.
With the changing decade it became increasingly clear that most cases of HIV in Australia were the result of male to male sexual contact. Independent services such as ACTIV (ACT Intravenous League), WISE (Workers In Sex Employment) and the Haemophilia Foundation ACT were providing services for their respective peer groups and the Council more clearly focussed its prevention services towards gay and bisexual men. At this time, services were added to deliver broader HIV education and health promotion directly to people with HIV/AIDS.
Board
The Council Board is made up of the following members.
- Claire Drake, President
- Mike Wight, Vice President
- David Benger, Secretary/Treasurer
- Alexander Hood, Ordinary Member
- Scott Malcolm, Ordinary Member
- Hannah Stone, Ordinary Member
- Ross Wilson, Ordinary Member
- Kenn Basham, PLWHA ACT Nominee
- David Mills, Staff Nominee
- Andrew Burry, General Manager