About
Our purpose: supporting the health workforce realise person-centred care.
Our vision: the virtual elimination of HIV, BBVs, and the sexual and reproductive health security and wellbeing of our diverse communities.
Our mission: to provide sector leadership and enable change through facilitation, direct action, capacity building and health systems strengthening.
About us
ASHM is a peak professional body representing healthcare professionals working in HIV, BBV, and sexual and reproductive health. We partner without prejudice, working collaboratively to develop workforce capacity and strengthen health systems to uphold the dignity and rights of people facing stigma and barriers to care.
An independent community of practice, ASHM is a trusted public health organisation and accredited charity that develops the resources and guidelines, delivers the training, runs the conferences, and advocates passionately for the needs of our members and communities.
Our members and supporters are health workers, community organisers, policy makers, health promoters, medical students, professionals, and specialists – all united to eliminate harm from these diseases, improve wellbeing and to protect our diverse communities.
Our history
ASHM was established in 1988 as a self-initiated community of practice for clinicians at the forefront of HIV and was initially called the Australian Society of AIDS Physicians. In 1990, the organisation was formally incorporated as the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM), in response to representation and advocacy from New Zealand clinicians and non-physicians working in HIV medicine.
Our early work focused on producing clinical resources such as “Could It Be HIV?” to help doctors better understand the complex and rapidly evolving field of HIV management. Since then, we have expanded our focus to include other blood-borne viruses, sexual and reproductive health, and more recently, COVID-19 and mpox.
Today, we are known simply as ASHM –an ACNP accredited and registered charity, providing a range of educational and engagement opportunities for health workers across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the Pacific.
Through our partnerships and programs, we are committed to bridging gaps in healthcare, responding to the evolving needs of the health workforce, and providing reliable, evidence-based education and resources.
Our values
- Collaborative
- Inclusive
- Trustworthy
- Respectful
- Dynamic