Iwi Member Receives MoH Funding for Māori HIV & AIDS
On the 3rd February 2011 INA signed an agreement with Ministry of Health to provide services to Māori, Indigenous, and South Pacific People living with HIV in New Zealand.
Our objectives specified are to:
•Provide psychosocial Support
•Provide referrals to health and social services
•Address the issue of stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV & AIDS
This initiative was created by Ngatiawa ki Waikanae, wahine and her whanau Marama (Rhonda) Pala, who has been HIV positive for 18 years.
The whanau received support from a team of volunteers who include an epidemiologist; HIV/AIDS nurse specialist, HIV positive people, their whanau, researchers, and numerous supporters from all sectors of the community throughout the country. Who for five years committed their time, and gave aroha to ensure HIV positive people were given voice. We thank you all for believing in our vision.
We thank all the researchers on the five year Tri Country, International Collaborative Indigenous Health Partnership between the Health Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC). Whose support over the last five years has given us many jet lag moments, friends, laughter, tears and experiences. We will always treasurer.
To our Indigenous, brothers and sisters on the International Indigenous Working Group on HIV & AIDS/AIDS thank you for your love, encouragement, and support.
Para nuestros indígenas, hermanos y hermanas en el Indígena Internacional Grupo de Trabajo sobre el VIH y el SIDA / SIDA gracias por tu amor, aliento y apoyo.
With Universal Kotahitanga and Equality we achieved.
