Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I rise to speak on document No. 35 on page 17 of today's Notice Paper the Department of Health and Ageing report for 2010-11 and the corrigendum that is making a correction to the report. The report that the corrigendum corrects is a great report. I wish to address a couple of remarks in relation to outcome 1 Population Health in that report, and specifically to the Immunisation Program.

The Immunisation Program aims to reduce the incidence of vaccine preventable diseases and targets a range of such diseases, in particular polio. I note that Senator Colbeck is in the chamber with me. Both of us are Rotarians within the Tasmanian district of 9830—we both joined Rotary in the 1980s. In our particular Rotary club and in Rotary clubs in Tasmania and throughout Australia and the world polio has been a targeted campaign. We thought in the late 1980s that we had eradicated polio, but it appears that is not the case. Citizens around the world in recent efforts have raised just over $1 billion to fight polio. CHOGM recently addressed the polio issue, where it was highlighted that, in relation to polio, the Australian government is committing, the Canadian government is committing $15 million over two years, Nigeria has increased funding from $17 million to $30 million for the year and philanthropist Bill Gates is personally contributing $40 million. That is how serious polio eradication is being taken by many entities and individuals.

Currently, there remain only four countries where polio is endemic: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. However, polio can and will spread from these countries if it is not checked. Without the eradication of this disease, all unimmunised children are at great risk. We are down to the last one per cent in the world, but it appears that the last one per cent are the hardest to eradicate. We are so close, but we need just to further this aim and really get to the end of polio in the world. It would be great to be rid of this disease. It will take mainly money and the effort that that money will assist with. I commend anyone who has an opportunity to contribute to this cause through Rotary International or through any other avenue to donate to anything that will eradicate this disease. The disease is close to eradication. It is simple to get rid of it. It is now just a matter of money and targeting that money in the right way. I commend that action and I commend those aspects of the report to the Senate. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.