Action plan to tackle rising STI rates in North Queensland

The Palaszczuk Government has committed more than $15 million over three years to combat syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases in North Queensland.

Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services Cameron Dick said that the North Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexually Transmissible Infections Action Plan 2016–2021 outlined a set of actions specifically targeting the regional services and communities in North Queensland.

“I was particularly concerned about the notification rates of infectious syphilis among North Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” he said.

“The Action Plan is finalised and will be supported by $15.7 million over the first three years to implement this regional strategy and to greatly enhance the current efforts to lower the rates of syphilis and other STIs across North Queensland.”

There are several elements of the plan, but two important elements are the employment of eight full-time equivalent workers and a program of screenings in regional cities such as Cairns and more remote areas such as Doomadgee and Kowanyama.

The Action Plan promotes a regional response and will cover five North Queensland Hospital and Health Services — Mackay, Townsville, Cairns and Hinterland, Torres and Cape, and North West.

Mr Dick said those consulted for the plan included local clinical and executive staff, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Sector, Primary Health Networks and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sexual health experts.

“The Action Plan builds around the central themes of service delivery, strengthening public health support for expert clinical advice and enhanced surveillance, along with increasing education of the health workforce and the public about sexual health treatment and prevention,” he said.

Apunipima Cape York Health Council Senior Medical Officer Jackie Mein said the council participated in the development of the STI Action Plan.

“The Apunipima Cape York Health Council strongly supports the Action Plan,” she said.

“STIs go across all boundaries and it’s very important that this plan is agreed across jurisdictional and multi-organisational boundaries.”

Mr Dick said the plan had been specifically developed to address the increasing number of notifications for infectious syphilis, and the occurrences of deaths of babies in the perinatal period from congenital syphilis in North Queensland.

“This is an unacceptable situation and we need to ensure health services are working with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities,” he said.

“That is why the Action Plan has set some key goals including eliminating congenital syphilis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies in North Queensland by December 2017.

“The plan will also aim to control syphilis outbreaks in the North Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population by December 2020 and reduce the prevalence of other STIs.”

Mr Dick said syphilis was a treatable disease that could be controlled through increased screening, treatment, follow up and preventive measures.

“We recognise that this is a sensitive issue and acknowledge that the successful rollout of the Action Plan depends on direct local engagement, including with our Indigenous communities and other health providers,” he said.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew Fraser 0428 690 679