Dr David Miller's much-awaited review, the first of its kind since the HIV epidemic first shattered the gay communities 25 years ago, contains a number of recommendations, including that organisations other than the NZ AIDS Foundation should in future be publicly funded to provide services to assist and support people living with the virus.
Bruce Kilmister
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"This will be a milestone for us if we can secure Ministry Of Health funding," says Body Positive General Manager Bruce Kilmister, "we can’t wait." But he cautions that the cash taps at the Ministry may not be opened to BP and its fellow smaller support organisations for some time. "There is a process to go through and no guarantees have been offered."
However, Body Positive has already started a funding dialogue with the Ministry. "We are only in the formative stages of discussion with MOH. I have given some information but there is a process and more dialogue and information to go through and to be supplied."
Rachael Le Mesurier
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Miller, in what he acknowledges is a "stocktake" rather than an audit, based on information supplied by the Foundation, support groups, sexual health and infectious disease experts and a number of people with HIV, has also called for improved assessment of the needs of people with the virus and the establishment of national standards for testing and counselling. He says the AIDS Foundation's testing and counselling service is very well regarded.
Miller's report was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and has been summarised by GayNZ.com here.
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