With Australia’s HIV notifications declining since 2013, a Monash-led position paper in The Lancet HIV says Australia is in a globally unique position to plan for a near future of virtual elimination of HIV transmission.
“Essential to achieving virtual elimination is the need for continued collaboration from community organisations, clinicians, researchers, and funding agencies,” they found. “As Australia is one of the few countries in the world to be able to plan for HIV elimination in the near future, this Position Paper will be a useful guide for other countries as they plan for their own HIV response.”
Available to comment:
Professor Jason Ong, lead researcher and Director of Monash University and Alfred Health’s Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
Contact details: +61 3 9903 4840 or media@monash.edu
Read more of Professor Ong’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Sexual health
- Sexually transmissible infections
- Epidemiology
- Health economics
- Marginalised communities
The following can be attributed to Professor Ong:
“Australia’s experience offers a global blueprint for the elimination of HIV transmission. It’s a powerful reminder that with sustained investment and innovative approaches, public health milestones once thought unattainable can become a reality.
“As Australia nears virtual elimination of HIV, our focus must evolve to address the changing needs of priority populations, including culturally tailored interventions for migrant communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
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