Page 4845 - Week 16 - Thursday, 29 November 1990
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Statistics indicate that, unlike the United States, the AIDS epidemic in Australia appears to be plateauing. This situation can largely be attributed to the enormous effort put into containing the disease by State, Territory and Commonwealth governments, working in close liaison with community groups, non-government agencies and concerned individuals. Resources made available by both Commonwealth and local governments to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS are multi-focused and include, more importantly, comprehensive prevention and education programs.
The ACT Government, under the AIDS matched funding program, funds a wide variety of government and non-government agencies who work together in the field of HIV/AIDS. Further, the ACT has led the way in developing some controversial but highly effective initiatives. The ACT needle exchange program is one such example. It seeks to minimise the spread of the virus amongst injecting drug users and primarily involves both the exchange and distribution of clean needles and syringes to drug users. This project links in with the installation of sharps disposal bins in ACT public toilets, and the sharps hotline, a 24-hour used needle collection and disposal service for the public. Other services and programs in the ACT include the AIDS Action Council of the ACT which, amongst many other diverse and important activities, coordinated the "Bums on Buses" poster campaign which provided support for the national HIV/AIDS and IVDU - intravenous drug users - campaign earlier this year.
This year the coordination of World AIDS Day in the ACT has been undertaken by the Health Advancement Service of the ACT Board of Health. A large number of activities have been scheduled for and around 1 December, World AIDS Day. As Minister for Health I have already been involved in the launch of a poster that is currently being displayed in prominent locations around Canberra. Also planned are information displays on HIV/AIDS in various centres such as libraries, as well as extensive print and electronic media coverage.
The official launch of World AIDS Day in the ACT will occur at 11 am on Saturday, 1 December, in Garema Place, Civic. A prominent feature of the launch will be the distribution to Canberra women of flowers which have a message about AIDS attached. The concept of flowers is intended to be a form of remembrance for those women in the world who have HIV/AIDS or who have already died from the disease.
Mr Speaker, I certainly hope that Canberrans, and in particular Canberra women, by their participation in this special day, will have their awareness raised on the particular issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, and will therefore take a more active role in helping to curb the spread of the virus in our community. Mr Speaker, I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
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