 G-Mhap win
Top Award
Frank
Dobson, the Health Secretary, presented Niall McGrogan
from G-Mhap, North Staffordshire’s Gay Men’s
Health Alliance project, with the first ever Gold NHS
Equality Award at a ceremony held in London earlier this
week (7 December 1998). Mr Dobson said, “I have made
clear right from the start that the NHS must eliminate
discrimination which mars the way it treats some patients
and staff. (The finalists) have shown what can be done
and what should be done. Now it’s up to other parts
of the NHS to follow suit. Equality is not at the margins
of the NHS — its central to all it stands for.”
G-Mhap, the first programme of its kind to receive
national acknowledgement, places equality for gay men and
lesbian women at the heart of its philosophy.
G-Mhap
believes that if HIV transmission is to be prevented, an
alliance must be created between gay men, positive,
negative or untested and ALL of the agencies and
organisations which impact on gay men’s health. If
this alliance is to be successful the full range of gay
men’s health needs-self esteem, mental health,
alcohol, tobacco and drug use and sexual health - must be
addressed.
Judged on
impact, joint working and sustainability, the project is
an exceptional model of how health inequalities can be
effectively tackled through community empowerment.
Recognising that the local gay community was isolated and
lacking visibility and with traditional HIV prevention
approaches having little success, G-Mhap has transferred
models of excellence from Australia, The States and
Europe to build a project which has a portfolio of
interventions addressing the many physical, social and
psychological determinants of sexual heath.
Success
has largely been built on a strategic alliance between
the health authority, the lesbian and gay community and
local authorities. In recognising needs, the project is
continually trying to improve the mental, physical and
sexual health of gay men by respecting diversity,
advocating equality of treatment and building a stronger,
healthier community in North Staffordshire.
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