MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce a major initiative by the Australian Government to
combat HIV related harm caused by injecting drug use in South East Asia and
southern China.
An estimated six million people in South and South-East Asia are now living
with HIV/AIDS. Discussions at the recent AIDS conference in Barcelona pinpointed
injecting drug use as a key factor in the rapid spread of the epidemic
worldwide.
Over the past 20-30 years injecting drug use has risen steeply in Asia and
accounts for up to two thirds of all reported cases of HIV infection. Research
shows that once entering a network of injecting drug users, HIV spreads with
explosive rapidity.
The purpose of the project is to strengthen the capacity of government
institutions, such as law enforcement and public health agencies, to address
HIV/AIDS issues arising from widespread drug injecting. This may include
education, training and the introduction of harm reduction measures.
It will run over four years at a total cost of $9 million and operate in
Burma, Viet Nam and Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in
China.
HIV related harm caused by injecting drug use cannot be overcome through law
enforcement alone. This is why the project aims to strengthen the capacity of
governments to address the problem by focussing on prevention of HIV
transmission.
This initiative, which is funded by Australia and developed in collaboration
with the ASEAN Secretariat and countries in the Asia region, was foreshadowed by
me at the Asia Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS in Melbourne last
October.
The Australian Government looks forward to working with our partners in Asia.
It is our intention that the lessons learned and experience gained will inform
other countries in the region and lead to regional cooperation to address the
epidemic of drug injecting and its far-reaching consequences.
A three-person Australian specialist team is scheduled to depart Melbourne
today for Hanoi. The project should be fully operational in all three countries
within a month.
Contacts:
Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 / 0419 206 890
Jo
Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 / 0412 80 4 489