Māori Wahine Appointed to 19th International AIDS Conference

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Māori Wahine Appointed to 19th International AIDS Conference 2012 Community Programme Committee

Marama Pala, Executive Director of INA (Māori, Indigenous & South Pacific) HIV/AIDS Foundation, Māori woman living with HIV was appointed as one of seven Global community representatives on the Community Programme Committee (CPC) for the XIX (19th) International AIDS Conference 2012 (AIDS 2012) held in Washington. This is a volunteer position, with Marama participating in the overall planning of high quality, targeted workshops that will promote and enhance opportunities for knowledge transfer, skills development, and collaborative learning. One of her roles will be to develop the community programme and recommend potential workshop presenters for the largest Conference in the world (30,000+ delegates).

“This is a first for New Zealand” says Marama Pala, “To be nominated and accepted on to this high profile committee, puts a spotlight on HIV in our community and on Indigenous Peoples. Being included as a vulnerable population is all we’ve wanted on an International scale” The rise of HIV infections amongst Indigenous Populations continues to create a concern Internationally – International Indigenous Working Group on HIV/AIDS.

AIDS 2012 will be held in Washington, DC 22 to 27 July at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre www.aids2012.org

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