Page 4211 - Week 13 - Thursday, 14 December 2006
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Organisations communicate on issues of concern and collaborate on projects to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS. They also work to detect current cases to enable the provision of appropriate precautions, care and support.
As Ms Porter identified, we have a ministerial advisory council. The council has representatives from the sexual health and blood borne virus sectors in the ACT. It provides discussion and advice from community and clinical perspectives on issues relating to HIV and AIDS, hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections. In 2004 the council held a community forum to discuss the national rise in notifications of sexually transmitted infections—in particular chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis—and the rise in HIV diagnoses in some states. The forum was well attended; it included discussion of epidemiology, social research, education and prevention initiatives in the ACT.
The national increase in gonorrhoea and syphilis presents particular concern because it may be an indicator of an increase in unsafe sexual behaviour, which may in turn contribute to an increase in transmission of HIV. The presence of other sexually transmissible infections could also make it easier for HIV to be transmitted. On this basis, the forum discussed ways in which these issues might be addressed in the ACT and how they were being approached in other jurisdictions.
Through the public health outcomes funding agreement between the ACT and the Australian government, we are committed to producing a local strategy for addressing sexual health and blood borne virus issues in the ACT. The ministerial advisory council provided input to the initial drafting of the strategic framework for the ACT in relation to HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and sexually transmissible infections. And ACT Health, I am advised, is currently finalising the strategic framework to allow for consultation in early 2007.
This framework will set local priorities, whilst giving consideration to the implementation of the national HIV strategy, the national sexually transmittable infections strategy, the national hepatitis C strategy, and the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sexual health and blood borne virus strategy. The local strategic framework will further build on the HIV/AIDS partnership in the ACT and provide guidance for organisations in setting their work plans over the coming years.
A lot of work has already been done in the ACT in relation to HIV/AIDS. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge some of this important work. ACT Health and some community GPs offer diagnosis, testing and treatment. The policy areas within ACT Health work with the community sector and national committees on the local and national approaches to these issues. But the bulk of the work in prevention, education and support happens, as Ms Porter identified, in the community sector. ACT Health provides funding to some key organisations in the response to HIV/AIDS, through service funding agreements and short-term health promotion grants.
In particular, the AIDS Action Council of the ACT and its host of volunteers do a huge amount of work to raise awareness of HIV, prevent transmission, provide care and support for people with HlV/AIDS, and advocate for the needs of people with HIV and AIDS. People Living with HIV/AIDS ACT, a peer support organisation for
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