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Gallus
The developed world has to take a greater role in the AIDS crisis in
developing countries, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Chris Gallus,
said today.
'Of the 36 million people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, only
230,000 are currently being treated,' she said.
Mrs Gallus was opening an International Roundtable of HIV/AIDS experts at the
Australian National University in Canberra this morning.
'Australia's infection rate has now stabilised at one in every 1500, and is
much lower than original predictions in the 90s,' she said.
'We have been at the forefront of addressing the issue in terms of education,
public health and low-cost treatment.
'As a result, Australia has a special responsibility to help developing
countries, and we have HIV/AIDS programs under way, or soon will have, in Papua
New Guinea, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, China, Burma, East Timor and Africa.
'We have just concluded successful projects in Thailand, and are about to
embark on major regional activity in the Pacific.'
Two years ago, the Federal Government launched a six-year, $200 million
global AIDS initiative.
Mrs Gallus said Australia's overseas aid program was concentrated in the
Asia-Pacific - home to two-third's of the world's poor - and where 7.5 million
people are currently infected with HIV/AIDS.
'More than a million new infections were recorded in our region last calendar
year,' she said.
'For our nearest neighbour, PNG, the rate of HIV/AIDS infections is almost
five times as high as Australia's at one in every 312. By comparison, in
Cambodia it is one in every 77, and in Botswana, one in every 5.'
Mrs Gallus said governments alone could not deal successfully with HIV, and
partnerships were required with the private sector, NGOs and community-based
organisations.
She welcomed the involvement of Australian pharmaceutical companies in the
International Roundtable, and hoped the forum would put forward new ideas on how
all these groups could work together to ensure greater access to HIV
treatments.
Contact: Craig Bildstien (0407 604437)