NZ AIDS Foundation chairperson Jeremy Lambert says it's possible there could be a range of people taking the place of Henare Te Ua, the organisation's kaumatua who passed away earlier this month. “I'm keen to continue to celebrate Henare's achievements but then take a bit of a breath and find it what we're actually looking for as an organisation,” Lambert says. “We won't necessarily look at filling the kaumatua position, but a lot more broadly at what we actually need in terms of what will best enhance our delivery to prevent HIV transmission and support people living with the virus.” One model is to have a kaumatua, but there are also other models the NZAF may look at, continues Lambert. “It might be a single kaumatua who would guide us around protocol, and have an input into difficult situations. Or it might be a group of individuals that are spread around the country. Lambert makes clear that any decisions will be made in consultation with NZAF members and staff. “We want to have input from everybody about how we can fill the big shoes left by Henare's departure,” he says. Ref: GayNZ.com (m)