Mr BONSON - 2005-10-12
Can you inform the House on the support this government is providing to our East Timorese neighbours to manage the unacceptably high levels of mosquito borne illness in the region.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. We have had a very longstanding relationship between East Timor and our Health Department. In August, some of our officials went to the inaugural congress of the East Timor Medical Association, which was held in East Timor. Meetings were held around that congress with senior officers of the East Timor Ministry for Health and AusAID representatives to determine how we can practically help the development of the health system in East Timor.
East Timor continues to suffer unacceptably high levels of malaria, dengue and other mosquito borne illnesses. For quite some time now, the Northern Territory has provided technical advice and support in this area - in fact, for the last 15 years. The need for ongoing planning and support in managing mosquito vectors was put as a very high priority by the East Timor health officials. The Department of Health and Community Services is recognised as having national and international expertise in this particular area of health service delivery. We are planning a workshop to be held in East Timor in the near future to design a project to reduce the incidence of malaria and dengue through surveillance control and management of vector mosquitoes.
AusAID will fund the work that our people will do in combination with the East Timorese. As an additional benefit alongside the obvious deepening friendship that we have with the East Timorese, we also reduce the risk of re-introduction of malaria and dengue into the Northern Territory itself.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. We have had a very longstanding relationship between East Timor and our Health Department. In August, some of our officials went to the inaugural congress of the East Timor Medical Association, which was held in East Timor. Meetings were held around that congress with senior officers of the East Timor Ministry for Health and AusAID representatives to determine how we can practically help the development of the health system in East Timor.
East Timor continues to suffer unacceptably high levels of malaria, dengue and other mosquito borne illnesses. For quite some time now, the Northern Territory has provided technical advice and support in this area - in fact, for the last 15 years. The need for ongoing planning and support in managing mosquito vectors was put as a very high priority by the East Timor health officials. The Department of Health and Community Services is recognised as having national and international expertise in this particular area of health service delivery. We are planning a workshop to be held in East Timor in the near future to design a project to reduce the incidence of malaria and dengue through surveillance control and management of vector mosquitoes.
AusAID will fund the work that our people will do in combination with the East Timorese. As an additional benefit alongside the obvious deepening friendship that we have with the East Timorese, we also reduce the risk of re-introduction of malaria and dengue into the Northern Territory itself.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016