Robert Simms (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Council of Australian Governments has agreed to a target to end new HIV infections in Australia by 2020,

(ii) in 2014, there were 1 080 infections in Australia with about 750 of these amongst sex between men,

(iii) each new infection and lifelong treatment brings significant health and personal impacts, with lifelong costs estimated at $200 000 to $300 000 per person,

(iv) there is now a strong evidence base and consensus amongst Australian non government organisations in this area that pre exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) along with rapid HIV tests and home self-tests are vital to add to the prevention tools currently available, and

(v) France is the latest jurisdiction to announce wide scale access to PrEP, with many other cities and states already having arrangements in place; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) demonstrate leadership on HIV by urgently removing regulatory barriers to access to PrEP, rapid HIV tests and home self-tests, and

(ii) as an interim measure, urgently explore policy options, including expanded trials in states and territories, to enable access to these important prevention tools.