September 2002
Annual Surveillance Report 2002
(HIV/AIDS,viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia)
From: National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical research
Summary
After adjusting for reporting delay,there were 8,810 AIDS cases and
6,174 deaths following AIDS, in Australia,cumulative to 31 December
2001.The number of HIV diagnoses,adjusted for multiple reporting,was
18,854 at the end of 2001.An estimated 12,730 people were living with
HIV/AIDS in Australia in 2001.
The annual number of AIDS diagnoses in Australia peaked at 954 cases
in 1994 and has dropped to 178 cases in 2001.The decline in AIDS incidence
from 1994 was due to a sharp drop in HIV incidence occurring in the
mid 1980's and to the effectiveness of combination antiretroviral therapy
in delaying progression to AIDS among people whose HIV infection was
diagnosed before AIDS diagnosis.The number of AIDS cases reported in
people whose HIV infection was diagnosed within the preceding three
months has remained stable.
The annual number of cases of newly diagnosed HIV infection has remained
relatively stable in 1997 - 2001 at around 700 cases.The number of diagnoses
of newly acquired HIV infection has also remained stable at around 150-200
diagnoses per year,providing a lower bound to the number of new HIV
infections that have actually occurred in Australia over this time.An
estimated 450 new HIV infections occur in Australia each year.
Transmission of HIV infection in Australia continues to be mainly through
sexual contact between men.A history of male homosexual contact was
reported in more than 85% of cases of newly acquired HIV infection diagnosed
in 1997 - 2001.HIV prevalence remains below 1% among injecting drug
users,prison entrants,and among men and women with a history of homosexual
contact,both in Australia and overseas,including women with a history
of sex work.
In 1992 - 2001,167 HIV diagnoses and 69 AIDS diagnoses were notified
among indigenous people.The population rate of HIV and AIDS diagnosis
among Indigenous people was similar to that among non-Indigenous people.However,
a higher proportion of HIV diagnoses in Indigenous people were among
women,and AIDS incidence has declined more slowly in Indigenous people.
AIDS incidence and estimated HIV prevalence in Australia at the end
of 2001 were 0.9 and 66 per 100,000 population,respectively.AIDS incidence
in Australia in 2001 was similar to that recorded in the United Kingdom
in 2001 and was substantially lower than in France (2.1),Spain(4.8)
and the United States (14.3).Within the Asia-Pacific region,estimated
HIV prevalence in Cambodia,Myanmar and Thailand were substantially higher
than that in Australia in 2001.
Survival following AIDS in Australia has increased from 19.5 months
for diagnoses in 1994 to 46.9 months for cases diagnosed in 1997.
An estimated 50% of all people living with HIV infection in Australia
in 2001 were treated with antiretroviral therapy.
Viral Hepatitis
For the first time in 5 years,the annual number of diagnoses of hepatitis
C infection declined in 2001, to 16,734 cases.The number of diagnoses
of newly acquired hepatitis C infection continued to increase from 154
in 1997 to 587 in 2001,probably because of improved monitoring.
An estimated 157,000 people were living with hepatitis C infection
in Australia in 2001,including 124,000 with chronic hepatitis C infection
and stage 0/1 liver disease,27,000 with stage 2/3 liver disease and
6,500 living with hepatitis C related cirrhosis.A further 53,000 had
hepatitis C antibodies but were not chronically infected.
Other Global HIV/AIDS News
Tanzania
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says urgent assistance is
needed to help millions of children in Tanzania left destitute by AIDS.
Thousands have been orphaned by the epidemic and many others have been
infected with HIV. Children form more than half of Tanzania's population!
Australia
And, back home,a parliamentary committee on substance abuse has reportedly
heard a fresh HIV/AIDS education campaign is desperately needed in Australia.
The Illicit Drug Users League has warned that HIV rates in Australia
will rise as new users who haven't been subject to preventative advertising
campaigns,emerge.
Executive Director Annie Madden is reported as saying that if things
don't change rapidly in a number of countries in Asia very soon, that
epidemic will eclipse the African HIV epidemic which is just mind boggling
to even contemplate.
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