Review of services for people living with HIV in New Zealand

supporting engagement with appropriate health and social services. BP reported identifying as manyPLHA ‘on‐site’ as NZAF has done nationally. It sees its accompanying/facilitative role for those foundto be HIV positive through its own channels to be a crucial one – indeed, the spectrum of supportservices BP offers directly matches the needs that PLHA themselves express.BP is a national service, but has a physical base only in Auckland. Its main national initiatives are thedissemination of information, the annual HIV+ Men’s Retreat, the HIV Treatment Update (a dayseminar) and its national 0800 helpline. There were no funds available for the establishment ofbranches elsewhere in New Zealand at the time of this review.As a relatively small NGO with a very limited budget, BP reports being ‘consumed with individualissues – it is difficult to take a step back to policy level’. Lack of resources impacts social work andcounselling in particular.All BP’s activities and services are subject to internal evaluation and, in the case of the social workercurrently employed, external professional supervision. Counsellors’ protocols are peer‐reviewedannually. All clinics and events offer evaluation forms.GapsBP expressed the need for renewed support for the following:1. outreach clinics for sex workers, immigration overstayers, Māori and others with HIV who willnot engage with ID or SH, for whatever reason2. treatment and funding support for treatment of lipodystrophy using Aquamid – BP report 200of its members who need treatment (78 have been treated to date).E. INA HIV/AIDS FOUNDATION CHARITABLE TRUST (www.ina.maori.nz)INA was incorporated as a charitable trust in 2008, as a reaction to what the organisers saw as an lackof engagement of the NZAF with Māori men and women affected by HIV/AIDS. Based in Tirau, INAoutlines its purpose in this way (INA 2009):... to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS Māori, indigenous and SouthPacific and the quality of information about HIV/AIDS to the Māori, indigenous and SouthPacific communities in Aotearoa. In particular, the [INA] Trust will:1. ... establish programmes and prevention and intervention strategies specific to Māori,indigenous and South Pacific people;2. ... establish effective support services for Māori, indigenous and South Pacific people livingwith HIV/AIDS, with culturally specific, culturally designed and sensitive programmes/projects.INA is still in its development phase. There is one staff member paid on a part‐time basis (but inpractical terms working full‐time) and a board that meets twice annually (and more frequentlythrough Skype and the telephone). Experienced colleagues, volunteers and board members makethemselves available when required by service‐users. INA’s capacity to develop has been dictated byavailable public funding and donations – lack of funding for national development remains its mainoperational obstacle. To date, INA has secured three grants totalling $75,000 to fund its first years ofoperations, and has recently developed strategic performance indicators and operational documents(including a comprehensive business plan).34 REVIEW OF SERVICES FOR PLHA