Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment and Water (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, 1 December, the world acknowledged and celebrated World AIDS Day. It was particularly special because it is the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day. It's been 30 years since the World Health Organization began their global campaign to fight the spread of HIV around the globe.

I remind senators and, indeed, the nation of where we were back in 1988 when the world, including Australia, had been for some time grappling with the HIV-AIDS epidemic. It has been 30 years since Australian scientists and healthcare professionals began their pioneering research, treatments and engagement with communities affected by HIV. We've made great strides since the HIV-AIDS epidemic was first recognised, when the Hawke Labor government was in power. Indeed, I'm proud of the way the Labor government led the world with its response to the epidemic in the 1980s.

We have made progress, and this is due in general terms to the cooperative and bipartisan approach to policy with which we have as a nation tackled HIV. We've made great progress and there is still a great deal of work for us to do both here in Australia and internationally. We have globally about 37 million people living with HIV. Without treatment, this would in many cases be a death sentence. But we have wonderful treatment programs that mean most people living with HIV, including all Australians who are HIV-positive, go on to live happy lives where HIV is a chronic illness, not a terminal illness.

Of the 36.9 million people living with HIV, 21 million have access to treatment. Perhaps one of the most alarming numbers in the World Health Organization is that last year 1.8 million people were newly diagnosed with HIV. This figure is most concerning because we have the tools and the expertise to halt new transmissions, to end HIV. In our own region, the Asia-Pacific, there are over five million people living with HIV-AIDS, with around 300,000 infections each year. Our near neighbour, Papua New Guinea, has the highest prevalence of AIDS in the Pacific, and AIDS-related deaths are, very sadly, increasing. Australia has the skills, expertise and resources to help our neighbours. I'm particularly pleased that a Shorten Labor government will contribute to international development assistance that will have a positive bearing on health outcomes in the region, including tackling HIV-AIDS.

In the last year alone, 1,000 Australians were diagnosed with HIV. What's wonderful about this is that this is in fact a seven per cent decline in new diagnoses when compared to the preceding four years. But this number is still much too high. For our First Australians, there is a slow but sustained increase in infection rates right across the nation and in particular clusters. We need strong commitments from government to address this. I am really proud to say that Labor's commitments include $10 million a year to renew Labor's response by restoring the funding and capacity that the current government has cut from national HIV organisations. Importantly, it also means $3 million a year to target hidden populations, including people who are not diagnosed or currently treated for HIV. It includes targeting ATSI communities and people from CALD backgrounds. I'm really pleased to say that Labor is committed to strengthening prevention, testing and treatment for these communities. (Time expired)