Posted on

Our New CEO Appointed

Chief Executive Officer appointed to lead the Queensland AIDS Council

 The Queensland AIDS Council is delighted to announce the appointment of Rebecca Reynolds as the Chief Executive Officer of QuAC.

The board, with the assistance of NGO Recruitment, conducted an exhaustive nationwide search to find the best possible person for this position. This process included three rounds of interviews and consultation with community leaders across the State.

The President of QuAC, Peter Black, said the board was excited Ms Reynolds was staying with QuAC for the next three years.

“Rebecca has been our interim Executive Director since August this year, and the board has been very impressed by the work she has already done within the organisation and our State’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, sistergirl and brotherboy communities, and we look forward to working with her in the coming years,” Mr Black said.

Ms Reynolds joined QuAC from the National LGBTI Health Alliance, the peak body in Australia for organisations and individuals working to improve health outcomes for LGBTI people and their communities. Working across the full lifespan, Rebecca’s career in the community health sector includes international work on HIV and maternal health, extensive experience in youth and disability services, mental health, suicide prevention and ageing and aged care.

“Rebecca’s diverse experience means she is uniquely placed to work with QuAC’s board, staff, volunteers and communities to reshape and reimagine the organisation so that it can fulfil its responsibilities to all of our communities and to work to address the issues that still exist that act as barriers for equality,” Mr Black said.

Commenting on her appointment, Ms Reynolds said “I warmly welcome the chance to work alongside our Queensland lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, sistergirl and brotherboy communities and to using our collective strength to tackle the diverse set of challenges that we face in our daily lives”.

For further information contact Peter Black, President, Queensland AIDS Council on 0421 636 496 or pblack@quac.org.au.

 

Posted on

QuAC Applauds PrEP Study Expansion

The Queensland AIDS Council welcomes today’s announcement that the QPrEP’d study is to be expanded to 3000 places.

PrEP (Pre- Exposure Prophylaxis) is a medication that we know prevents HIV transmission if taken as directed.

In early 2016, Hon Cameron Dick Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, announced the funding of 2000 places for the four year QPrEP’d study. The study has been particularly successful at getting PrEP to Queenslanders most at risk of HIV transmission, with 1970 people already accessing the QPreP’d study, and more still importing PrEP from overseas.

The Queensland AIDS Council has been integral to the success of the study, through direct enrolment of participants at Clinic 30 in Brisbane and Hervey Bay, and also through the statewide communication and promotion of the study. Through the peer driven community outreach conducted by QuAC and the range of health promotion targeting at risk communities, we have been able to ensure those of our community most at risk of HIV transmission were aware of the benefits of PrEP and the availability of free PrEP through the study.

“There is no doubt that PrEP has already prevented many new HIV notifications in Queensland, and we recognise the strong leadership taken by Mr Cameron Dick to invest further into HIV prevention in Queensland” said Michael Scott, Executive Director of Queensland AIDS Council.

The announcement of the expansion to the PrEP study follows the HIV Roundtable in Cairns involving clinicians, non- government organisations, researchers, affected community and government, focussing on Indigenous sexual health and in particular the prevention of HIV in North Queensland.

The Roundtable highlighted the meaningful involvement of community programs such as the 2 Spirits Program to prevent HIV transmission at a local Indigenous community level.

The 2 Spirits Program, funded for over 20 years to work with Indigenous gay men and sistergirls to prevent HIV transmission, was earlier this year defunded without evaluation by the Federal Department of Health.

“Because of the urgent need for health promotion, community development and prevention services to Indigenous community, particularly around availability of PrEP, we urge the appropriate resourcing of the 2 Spirits Program to ensure PrEP is made available equally to Indigenous Queenslanders,” said Scott.

For further information contact Michael Scott, Executive Director, Queensland AIDS Council on 0427 138 373 or mscott@quac.org.au.

ENDS

The Queensland AIDS Council was established in 1984 and is a community-based, not-for-profit, registered health promotion charity that works to improve the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Queenslanders, prevent HIV and bu ild the capacity of the community. Media Release – Queensland PrEP Study Expansion

Posted on

QuAC Launches LGBTI Resilience Billboard Campaign

The Queensland AIDS Council is excited to announce the launch of their #LGBTIresilience campaign across Queensland.
The campaign aims to strengthen the Queensland LGBTI community’s resilience and mental health which is currently being tested by the conflicting positions, media coverage and political debate around marriage equality.

Download the media release here:
Media Release – #LGBTIResilience Campaign Launch

Posted on

Deferral Decision of PrEP Highlights

Importance of QPrEP Study

Today the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) released minutes from its July 2017 where it made a decision on whether PrEP should included on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

The decision made by the PBAC was a “deferral decision.” Further negotiation can still occur to move the deferral decision to a positive outcome.

Queensland AIDS Council calls on the pharmaceutical industry and the Federal Government to continue working together to ensure that PrEP is available to as many Australians as possible through a PBS listing. PBS listing is crucial, because we know that PrEP access is not equitable. Some States and Territories are yet to have a trial for PrEP in place, meaning importation is the only way to access PrEP for a number of people.

We know that PrEP works, we know that PrEP, if taken once daily is highly effective at preventing HIV transmission, and if we are to continue to reduce transmissions of HIV, then equal access to PrEP in Australia is required.

The deferral decision released by PBAC highlights the ongoing importance of the Queensland PrEP study – QPrEPd. First announced in April 2016 by the State Palaszczuk Government, the QPrEPd study has provided free PrEP to Queenslanders most at risk of HIV transmission.

“The decision to implement the QPrEPd study across Queensland has already reduced HIV transmission in the state. Now more than ever we need to support the QPrEPd study to ensure HIV transmission continues to decrease” said Michael Scott, Executive Director of Queensland AIDS Council.

It is important to highlight that places are still available for the QPrEPd study, and anyone at risk of HIV transmission should consider going on the study. People can find a list of sites for the QPrEPd study at http://www.comeprepd.info/qprepd-project/

The Australian Federation of AIDS Foundations (AFAO) remains focussed on equal access of PrEP to all Australians, and has commissioned research estimating that 31,000 gay men are at risk of HIV and would be eligible for PrEP nationally.

For further information contact Michael Scott, Executive Director, Queensland AIDS Council on (07) 3017 1777

or Nick Lucchinelli (AFAO) on 0422 229 032.

ENDS

The Queensland AIDS Council was established in 1984 and is a community-based, not-for-profit, registered health promotion charity that works to improve the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Queenslanders, prevent HIV and build the capacity of the community.

Media Release – PBAC PrEP Deferral Decision