New National Strategies for Transmissible Infections and Blood borne Viruses

Following the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference on 22 April, all states and territories along with the Commonwealth have endorsed the five new national strategies for blood-borne viruses [1]A small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs [2][Sexually Transmissible (or Transmitted) Infection] Infections spread by the transfer of organisms from person to person during sexual contact. Also called venereal disease (VD) (an older public health term) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). ).

NAPWA participated in the drafting and development process, along with other stakeholders in the HIV partnership.

The strategies were released with the following communique:
“Ministers today endorsed five new national strategies for blood borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs). For the next three years, these documents will guide policies in relation to the prevention, testing, treatment and more in relation to BBVs and STIs. The documents were developed in a spirit of cooperation with significant contributions from community stakeholders, research organisations, medical professionals and state and territory health departments.”

The five strategies are:

• The Sixth National HIV Strategy;
• The First National Hepatitis B Strategy;
• The Second National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy;
• The Third National Hepatitis C Virus (HCV [3]Hepatitis C virus.) Strategy; and
• The Third National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy

We now await the consultation drafts of the Implementation Plans.

You can see the strategies on the Department of Health and Ageing website www.health.gov.au [4]