6:00pm – The New Zealand AIDS Foundation's members have voted to keep the organisation's primary focus on men who have sex with men (MSM). At the NZAF's Annual General Meeting today, the assembled members voted to ensure the NZAF's prevention programmes should primarily be gay/MSM-focused, but the organisation will also continue to support the delivery of programmes to other most-at-risk communities and continue to provide care and support services to all communities infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. NZAF board chair Jeremy Lambert says the board was pleased with the decision. “There were three other options that would have considerably narrowed the focus and restrict the NZAF's ability to support any other programmes for any other most at risk audiences. Another option was a lot more general, it didn't have a gay/MSM focus. I think that would have been quite problematic for us as an organisation, given our history, and given the way the epidemic is affecting men who have sex with men more than anybody else,” he explains. “The decision essentially reflects what we do at the moment,” Lambert continues. “Our prevention programmes are primarily focused on men who have sex with men, however we also support the African refugee and migrant programme, in terms of developing a specific programme for the African communities in New Zealand." In contrast to the drama and rows at last year's AGM, today's event was fast-paced and productive. Lambert closed the meeting by saying, “thank you for an enjoyable afternoon with friends.” Ref: GayNZ.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 25th November 2006 - 12:00pm