Australia should use its influence as a United Nations Security Council member to advance a clear global strategy to tackle HIV
The news, released by the Kirby Institute on 17 October 2012, of an 8% increase in new HIV diagnoses in Australia1 is a cause for concern. The increases, mainly in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, were primarily among men who have sex with men (MSM). As David Wilson, head of the Institute’s surveillance and evaluation program put it, “We thought we had at least reached a plateau about five years ago but we have not”.2
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- 1. Kirby Institute. HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: annual surveillance report 2012. Sydney: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, 2012. http://www.kirby.unsw.edu.au/sites/hiv.cms.med.unsw.edu.au/files/hiv/resources/2012AnnualSurvReport.pdf (accessed Nov 2012).
- 2. Corderoy A. Alarming increase in number of HIV cases. Sydney Morning Herald 2012; 17 Oct. http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/alarming-increase-in-number-of-hiv-cases-20121016-27p4u.html (accessed Nov 2012).
- 3. Eminent Persons Group. A Commonwealth of the people: time for urgent reform. The report of the Eminent Persons Group to Commonwealth Heads of Government. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2011. http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/241620/FileName/EminentPersonsGroupReport.pdf (accessed Nov 2012).
- 4. Global Commission on HIV and the Law. Risks, rights and health. New York: United Nations Development Programme, 2012: 76. http://www.hivlawcommission.org/resources/report/FinalReport-Risks,Rights& Health-EN.pdf (accessed Nov 2012).
- 5. Human Rights Watch. Malawi: courageous move to suspend anti-gay laws. 6 Nov 2012. http://allafrica.com/stories/201211060389.html (accessed Nov 2012).
- 6. President of the Republic of Indonesia. Presidential Decree No. 76 of 2012. http://www.citizen.org/documents/PresidentalDecree20121.pdf (accessed Nov 2012).
I was a member of the Eminent Persons Group that advised the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2011, and served on the UNDP Global Commission on HIV and the Law in 2011-2012.