Media Release
30-11-2009
Peak Aboriginal Health Body commemorates World AIDS Day
Mr Justin Mohamed Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
(NACCHO) says World AIDS Day, December 1 is a time to appreciate people living with HIV or AIDS*
and their support teams in the community including carers, family, friends and health workers.
“The higher level of existing ill health raises the vulnerability to HIV in the Aboriginal community" Mr
Mohamed said.
“Yet concerted efforts, including within the over 150 Aboriginal community controlled health services, has
been able to contain rates of HIV in our community which are similar to those of the general Australian
population.
“Sexual and reproductive health workers and alcohol and other drugs programs within Aboriginal
community controlled health services have helped to limit the potential epidemic and provide support to
those living with HIV and AIDS.
“In areas of the greatest need, Aboriginal community controlled health services host a range of holistic
initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of ill health caused by HIV including needle and syringe
programs, s100 prescribers, drug treatment programs, healthy liver programs, prisoner support programs
and other specialised counselling services.
“Our frontline services benefit from a close partnership with the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and
Clinical Research (NCHECR) at the University of NSW.
“NACCHO and NCHECR formalised our partnership last year in a Memorandum of Understanding. The
MOU ensures our health workers and researchers work in collaboration to improve health outcomes
based on sound evidence.
“NCHECR’s annual Bloodborne viral and sexually transmitted infections in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people: Surveillance and Evaluation Report is the definitive publication in this field" Mr Mohamed
said.
NCHECR’s 2009 report** noted (p11):
A very different epidemiological profile exists for HIV infection among the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander population compared to that in the Australian born non-Indigenous population. For
infections newly diagnosed in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the five years
from 2004 to 2008, exposure to HIV was attributed to sex between men in 54%, injecting drug
use in 22%, heterosexual contact in 23%. This is compared with the non-Indigenous population,
where exposure to HIV was attributed to sex between men in 79%, injecting drug use in 3%,
heterosexual contact in 13% and was undetermined in 5%.
The motto of this year’s World AIDS Day “Take Action, No Discrimination” very much fits with the
philosophy of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services where our member services continue to
take action in a culturally appropriate manner by providing care and services to people living with HIV,
and by minimising the risk of transmission of HIV.
NACCHO Media Contact:
Chris Hallett 04 0770 4788
*Human Immunodeficiency Virus is transmissible through bodily fluids such as blood, and with time, HIV
can cause Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Syndrome.
NEWS 
