Ms CARTER - 2001-06-26
The issue of cross-border transmission of HIV was raised by the Northern Territory AIDS/STD Program at the Intergovernmental Committee on AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases. I also understand the interim United Nations Transitional Authority and local health authorities in East Timor were made aware of the Northern Territory government’s concerns about the potential for the spread of HIV within East Timor and Northern Australia. What response has the Territory government received in relation to these concerns?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for her question, particularly on this day which coincides with a three-day conference on AIDS at the UN headquarters in New York - a conference at which the Secretary-General of the United Nations said that it is a time for some plain speaking and taking responsibility for this issue of AIDS globally.
The issue of HIV/AIDS spread in East Timor has received scant attention. I noticed in the paper recently, buried towards the back of the paper, there was a small article raising the concerns of a doctor who was working in East Timor. The problem that concerns me is not only the emerging problem for the people of East Timor but also an emerging problem for Territorians.
Since the UN involvement in East Timor, there have been 12 cases of HIV diagnosed at the Royal Darwin Hospital of which ten of those cases have been from UN foreign workers working in East Timor. A Territory woman has contracted AIDS heterosexually and has subsequently infected another person.
I wrote to the Prime Minister on 1 June - and I table my letter to the Prime Minister - expressing the deep concern of the Northern Territory government that appropriate public health procedures were not in place in East Timor and that the United Nations itself was not taking adequate precautions to screen its own workers who are working in East Timor. I received a response recently from the Prime Minister, and I will table that letter. He also shared that concern. There has been dialogue initiated between East Timorese health workers, Commonwealth health workers and also Northern Territory health workers.
The United Nations has been appraised of our concern, but it goes far more deeply than that, and that is why I raise it and I thank the member for her question today. If you want to imagine a time bomb about to go off, I can tell you, that time bomb is ticking in East Timor at the moment and, worse, it can affect Territorians. The knowledge of AIDS as a disease globally is well known to doctors who are experts in this, those who have worked particularly in this industry. Dr Jan Savage, who is the head of our AIDS/STD unit, is one such expert.
The experience of countries such as Africa and, more recently, Cambodia, provide an interesting parallel. For example, when the UN operations commenced in Cambodia there was an instance of about 1% of HIV in the Cambodian population. Within about ten years the incidence of HIV was about 48% and rising, known amongst the sex industry in Cambodia, and God knows how much amongst the population, and further spreading to Thailand and other bordering countries.
If you want a time bomb it is this. You have a country that has emerged from a civil war that has almost no infrastructure in place. You have a country that has poor health infrastructure as well and almost no method of screening people for HIV or AIDS. Add on that a country that has a very strong and deep religion such as Catholicism, such as in East Timor, that does not encourage the use of condoms and essentially shies away from those sort of public health or safe sex programs. And also add to that the naivete in the general sense of that population. Then introduce foreign workers who come from countries such as Africa where the incidence of AIDS is rampant. What I am saying is you have then the time bomb ticking to see a similar situation that has existed in Cambodia.
I would suggest that the fact that there have been 10 foreign aide workers diagnosed in Royal Darwin already points very directly to the concerns coming out of East Timor that we have a situation that is potentially out of control.
What I would say to the Commonwealth government, what I would say to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is: plain speaking needs direct action. The United Nations has never taken responsibility for its role in Cambodia in the spread of HIV and it is far past time that they took the direct responsibility for screening foreign workers going to East Timor.
I certainly believe there should be compulsory screening for HIV of any foreign worker going to East Timor. That screening should be conducted on a regular basis and that could be the very least that the UN administration could put in place immediately. From a Territory government perspective, not only are we prepared to help with public health programs to help where necessary with that screening, but the additional issue we have to grapple with is what will or can the Northern Territory as a jurisdiction do? That is occupying my mind at the moment. I certainly do not want to go to the situation where no UN worker is allowed to holiday in the Northern Territory, but unless I see direct action coming from the United Nations in terms of compulsory screening of their foreign workers, I believe I have a duty to Territorians to act far more forcefully on this issue.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for her question, particularly on this day which coincides with a three-day conference on AIDS at the UN headquarters in New York - a conference at which the Secretary-General of the United Nations said that it is a time for some plain speaking and taking responsibility for this issue of AIDS globally.
The issue of HIV/AIDS spread in East Timor has received scant attention. I noticed in the paper recently, buried towards the back of the paper, there was a small article raising the concerns of a doctor who was working in East Timor. The problem that concerns me is not only the emerging problem for the people of East Timor but also an emerging problem for Territorians.
Since the UN involvement in East Timor, there have been 12 cases of HIV diagnosed at the Royal Darwin Hospital of which ten of those cases have been from UN foreign workers working in East Timor. A Territory woman has contracted AIDS heterosexually and has subsequently infected another person.
I wrote to the Prime Minister on 1 June - and I table my letter to the Prime Minister - expressing the deep concern of the Northern Territory government that appropriate public health procedures were not in place in East Timor and that the United Nations itself was not taking adequate precautions to screen its own workers who are working in East Timor. I received a response recently from the Prime Minister, and I will table that letter. He also shared that concern. There has been dialogue initiated between East Timorese health workers, Commonwealth health workers and also Northern Territory health workers.
The United Nations has been appraised of our concern, but it goes far more deeply than that, and that is why I raise it and I thank the member for her question today. If you want to imagine a time bomb about to go off, I can tell you, that time bomb is ticking in East Timor at the moment and, worse, it can affect Territorians. The knowledge of AIDS as a disease globally is well known to doctors who are experts in this, those who have worked particularly in this industry. Dr Jan Savage, who is the head of our AIDS/STD unit, is one such expert.
The experience of countries such as Africa and, more recently, Cambodia, provide an interesting parallel. For example, when the UN operations commenced in Cambodia there was an instance of about 1% of HIV in the Cambodian population. Within about ten years the incidence of HIV was about 48% and rising, known amongst the sex industry in Cambodia, and God knows how much amongst the population, and further spreading to Thailand and other bordering countries.
If you want a time bomb it is this. You have a country that has emerged from a civil war that has almost no infrastructure in place. You have a country that has poor health infrastructure as well and almost no method of screening people for HIV or AIDS. Add on that a country that has a very strong and deep religion such as Catholicism, such as in East Timor, that does not encourage the use of condoms and essentially shies away from those sort of public health or safe sex programs. And also add to that the naivete in the general sense of that population. Then introduce foreign workers who come from countries such as Africa where the incidence of AIDS is rampant. What I am saying is you have then the time bomb ticking to see a similar situation that has existed in Cambodia.
I would suggest that the fact that there have been 10 foreign aide workers diagnosed in Royal Darwin already points very directly to the concerns coming out of East Timor that we have a situation that is potentially out of control.
What I would say to the Commonwealth government, what I would say to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is: plain speaking needs direct action. The United Nations has never taken responsibility for its role in Cambodia in the spread of HIV and it is far past time that they took the direct responsibility for screening foreign workers going to East Timor.
I certainly believe there should be compulsory screening for HIV of any foreign worker going to East Timor. That screening should be conducted on a regular basis and that could be the very least that the UN administration could put in place immediately. From a Territory government perspective, not only are we prepared to help with public health programs to help where necessary with that screening, but the additional issue we have to grapple with is what will or can the Northern Territory as a jurisdiction do? That is occupying my mind at the moment. I certainly do not want to go to the situation where no UN worker is allowed to holiday in the Northern Territory, but unless I see direct action coming from the United Nations in terms of compulsory screening of their foreign workers, I believe I have a duty to Territorians to act far more forcefully on this issue.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016