Introducing Chris Connelly – the new Manager for AFAO International

Chris has just joined the International team at our Bangkok office.

He was recently visiting the Sydney office and we thought AFAO's friends and partners might like to know a bit more about him, so we asked him a few questions about how he came to be working for AFAO and what the International team is up to this year.

Call for reform of anti-homosexuality laws across the Commonwealth

There has been renewed debate recently about the need to reform laws that criminalise homosexuality across the Commonwealth, driven by the signing by the Queen of the Commonwealth Charter in London last week.

In the UK's House of Lords on 13 March, there was an extensive discussion about the barriers that these laws present to responding to HIV, not to mention the denial of human rights generally as a result of these laws.

Reflections about Anthony Smith

Many people have been saddened by the recent death of our colleague and friend, Professor Anthony Smith. Anthony was widely known both in Australia and internationally for his work as an outstanding researcher, and also for his passion as an HIV activist
spanning some 25 years.

Dino Hodge and Terry McClafferty were colleagues of Anthony Smith during his time on the Northern Territory AIDS Council (NTAC) Board during the late 1980 and early 1990s.  Here they reflect on Anthony's life, and the lasting contributions he has made to Australia's response to HIV.

Dino Hodge was on the board of NTAC between 1989-1992. As a fellow Board Member, including in his capacity as a member of The NTAC Council Law and Policy Working Group, he worked closely alongside Anthony Smith.  Dino recalls:

Addressing human rights for orphans affected by HIV in Nepal

Children at the Punarbul Plus school.

Volunteer Rachel Tyne brings you this update on Punarbal Plus, a School in Nepal that provides educational opportunities and a supportive environment for HIV-positive and affected children, who are unable to access mainstream schooling due to stigma and discrimination. AFAO's small grants program funding supported core operational costs for the program from May 2008 until 2012.

The CSIS/Lancet panel session on MSM and HIV

In July 2012, a special edition of The Lancet focusing on the global HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) was launched at the International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C.  To complement this, The United States’ Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) convened a panel session where several authors who contributed to the edition discussed their papers.



Policy Implications of The Lancet MSM & HIV Series from CSIS on Vimeo.

World AIDS Day 2012 - Recharging our Response

In the lead up to World AIDS Day,  leaders of two community HIV organisations, one in Sydney and one in Bangkok, reflect on future directions the HIV response needs to take.

AIVL reports on the Viral Hepatitis Conference

Launch of the Auckland Statement at the
Viral Hepatitis Conference. Photo: Petrana Lorenz.   

The  8th Australasian Conference on Viral Hepatitis, hosted by ASHM, was held 8-12 September 2012 in Auckland.

AIVL attended the conference and played a major role through participation on the conference organising committee, working groups and on the drafting and launch of the Auckland Statement.