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#SaveAIVL
Australia has had a fantastic history of fighting blood
borne viruses (such as HIV and Hepatitis C). The work
in this area has had support from all sides of the
government.
A defining feature of the Australian response is
working in partnership with the key affected
communities of the viruses. That is, gay men, sex
workers, and people who inject drugs were funded by
the government to form their own organisations in
order to provide leadership, coordination and support
to the Australian policy, advocacy and health
promotion response to HIV/AIDS. This has become
what is known as “the partnership approach.”
AIVL is an important part of this partnership.
One of the fundamental recognitions of our approach
is the fact that during the moment of transmission
(whether it be through unprotected sex or the use of
contaminated injecting equipment), the people
present are unlikely to be politicians, doctors or
police, but rather community members themselves.
We communicate in a way that is appropriate and
relevant.
Messages are much more meaningful and are more
likely to be listened to when they come from people
who share the same lived experience.
It has been the work of peer-based organisations to
enable and empower these individuals to make
decisions that reduce harm and lead to positive health
outcomes. AIVL leads a national membership of state
based organisations, who together represent millions
of drug users in Australia.
To date, the partnership approach has been incredibly
successful. Achievements include:

The low prevalence of HIV among People who inject drugs
in Australia (1.7% compared to 38% in Indonesia, where
such an approach was not adopted)

Workplace training in health services to reduce the stigma
and discrimination experienced people who use drugs

A strong peer-based response to drug related harm
including education to reduce overdose, information
resources regarding the prevention of blood borne viruses,
support to access testing, treatment, and care for HIV and
Hepatitis C

Representation of people who inject drugs in policy
development, research, and human rights areas

A highly successful needle and syringe program, that has
saved lives and returned $7 for every one dollar of
investment in public health
background fact sheet
New areas of work for AIVL include:



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Developing effective harm reduction responses
to challenges associated with methamphetamine
use
Supporting our member organisations to provide
peer-based services to music festivals
Working with our community towards
sustainable access to new Hepatitis C treatments
as they become available
Creating a conduit between government and the
community of people who use drugs to ensure
health messages are consistent, cohesive and
coordinated
Unfortunately, however, these new areas of work will
not be realised because the government has decided
that, rather than supporting organisations like AIVL, it
has restructured funding to be for particular activitiesnone of which would be available for us to continue
operating after the end of this financial year.
It has also opened the eligibility of that scant national
funding that is available to state governments and
agencies- which were excluded from competing for
this money in the past. Rather than bring
communities together, this new funding model is
turning us against each other.
All of this spells the end of the highly successful
“partnership model” that has positioned Australia as
a leader in the global harm reduction movement.
The government is turning its back on key affected
communities, the people who are not only most
vulnerable to the impact of blood borne viruses, but
who have worked the hardest to manage this burden
on ourselves and the broader community.
This devastating backwards step will significantly
weaken Australia’s future response to the challenges
presented by illicit drug use and blood borne viruses
when we need to be more responsive than ever.
We need your help.
If you are a person who uses drugs or maybe you are
close to someone who has- or maybe you’re just
someone who supports our work- we urge you to visit
our website, sign our petition, and write to your local
member telling them that organisations like ours are
important to people like you.
www.aivl.org.au/SaveAIVL