The HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Australia

The HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Australia
The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are targets set about by the United Nations and the countries allied to it towards the irradiation of poverty and other major global problems by the year 2015. The aim of this paper is to analyze Australia’s progress towards obtaining the sixth United Nations Millennium goal on HIV/AIDS. It seeks to analyze the situation of HIV/AIDS in Australia with regard to the international situation and its collaboration with the Papua New Guinea in addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, it focuses on Australia’s prevention strategies, taking into consideration their significance in fulfilling the goal of halting the spread of HIV/AIDS by the year 2015.
The sixth United Nations Millennium Development Goal (UN MDG) to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases has two main targets with regard to HIV/AIDS. The first is to have halted and begun the reverse of the spread of HIV/AIDS by the year 2015. The second is to have universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all who are in need by 2010. In the assessment made by the United Nations in September 2010, it revealed that the world had failed to accomplish the second goal by their deadline in 2010. The report predicted that "On a global scale, targets for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care will not be met by 2010" (Peter Capella, The Sydney Morning Herald.). Still, the second goal that no child be born with HIV and the virus abolished by 2015 is currently in motion. The global situation appears to be the HIV has been stabilized in most regions, as more people are living longer lives. However, many young people are still unaware of what the disease is exactly, and the ways to protect themselves from HIV. It had been found that preventive measures such as condom use and AIDS education is becoming more accepted in countries trying to combat the disease, and that these are showing positive results (“United Nations Millennium Development Goals”. The United Nations.n.p).
On track to meeting the UNMDGs, the OECD report states that its priority remains with support for health and education of the need for progress and their role as critical drivers of sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. At present, it boasts as a leader in efforts to eliminate violence against women (“Australia”. OECD.org n.p). The Situation of HIV/AIDS in Australia at the moment with regards to the number of those diagnosed with Aids have increased over the years since the year 2000. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that in 2010, Australia has had its highest number of HIV infections in about 20 years. At the moment, there are approximately 21, 171 people in Australia with HIV, with 1, 050 new cases diagnosed in the year 2009 (Kate Benson, The Sydney Morning Herald).
To meet the target of ending the further spread of HIV/AIDS by the intended deadline, the Australian government has taken numerous measures. One thing they have done is to identify groups of people who are considered to be of higher risk of obtaining the virus. Homosexuals have been identified as a risk group, as 63% of those who tested positive were homosexual men. (Condon Bradly J. & Sinha Tapen. n.p). Australia currently is the country with the lowest levels of HIV/AIDS among sex workers worldwide. This is attributed to the successes of community based sex worker organizations and similar projects and organizations instituted by the government in partnership with other agencies. Their focus had remained on peer education programs for the sex workers. By doing this, they were able to obtain knowledge that safe sex practices as well as other outreach programs (Condon Bradly J. & Sinha Tapen n.p).
Moreover, rapid HIV testing is now underway throughout the nation. There are hundreds of people infected with HIV who don’t even know they have the disease. As a result, they are unaware that they are spreading the disease, contributing to the problem and failing to seek for help for themselves. In response, testing kits are being made available to identify those who carry the disease (Bolger, Brendan. “Cut HIV Rates to Zero by 2015, Sydney Told”. n.p.). This would then enable them to seek help and get the health care they need, and also stop people from spreading the disease further. This would also help the government gain a more accurate number of those who are suffering, which would prove beneficial in their efforts to contain the spread of disease.
Another preventive measure the government has taken is to put up an HIV travel health ban. In the past health bans had been enforced to prevent immigrants from countries suspected of high numbers of disease from entering the country; this has been the case for the SARS and bird flu cases. An HIV health ban had been moved by the government so that people who are positive for HIV/AIDS would be denied from entering the country. It means that those applying for visas to enter Australia must first present accurate medical information, and pass certain medical tests before they are granted access into the county. By doing this, they are closing a door; disallowing further infiltration of the disease into the country (Chester Cool, “Groups Urge Australia to Repeal HIV Travel Ban”. n.p.). Australia had recently eased the health restrictions on HIV migrants, although those who are applying for resident visas are usually subject to HIV testing, depending on the situation. There is a criterion by which HIV positive migrants are evaluated, and it is only after these individuals pass this evaluation that they be granted access onto Australia. (“Australia: Regulations on Entry, Stay and Residence for PLHIV”, HIV Travel).
The AIDS Action Council UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2010 showed that 33.3 million individuals worldwide are infected with HIV. Of these 2.6 million people were diagnosed with HIV in the same year and the total number of deaths that occurred stood at 1.8 million in 2009. In Australia, approximately 29,390 people had proved positive with HIV. About 10,446 of them were diagnosed with AIDS diagnoses and a total of 6,776 deaths were the result of HIV/AIDS related health complications. A report done by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible diseases in Australia Annual Surveillance Report 2010 showed that males were the most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 2009. Of the 29,396 people notified with HIV, 26,773 were males and only 2,301 were females. This is attributed to the homosexual lifestyle of most Australian men (“AIDS Action Council”. HIV). The low prevalence is attributed to continued use of condoms among gay men, peer education among various segments of the society and increased sensitization on the need for HIV/AIDS testing (ACON, Aids Council Testing Campaigns to Tackle Rise in HIV/AIDS Statistics.). With regard to these figures, it is significant that more effort be directed towards averting the prevalence of the pandemic among Australian males.
Australia launched their international strategy for HIV/AIDS in April 2009 to help realize the goals of the sixth MDG (“HIV InSite”, University of California). They planned to do this by helping their partner countries achieve universal access to the prohibition, care, and treatment for HIV. This strategy has six priorities, focusing mainly in supporting countries around the Asia Pacific Region, namely: Papua New Guinea, East Asia, Pacific Island countries, and South Asia (Intensifying the Response: Halting the Spread of HIV 1). Australia...