20 years of HIV surveillance in New Zealand

The AIDS Epidemiology Group celebrates 20 years of HIV surveillance in New Zealand

17 November 2009

INA (Māori, Indigenous and South Pacific) HIV/AIDS Foundation) congratulates the AIDS Epidemiology Group for their sterling work to prevent the transmission of HIV over the last twenty years.

The AIDS Epidemiology Group at the University of Otago celebrated twenty years of successful HIV surveillance in New Zealand by convening a colloquium at the University of Otago that brought together community members and HIV experts from throughout New Zealand and Australia.

People called on the AIDS Epidemiology Group to respond to the changing pattern of the HIV epidemic by ensuring that all affected groups were included in efforts to monitor the spread of HIV.

Positive Women INC and INA (Māori) called on the AIDS Epidemiology Group to ensure that the concerns of these affected groups were included in future surveillance systems.

Dr Clive Aspin (Ngati Maru) who spoke about the surveillance of HIV and Māori called upon the AEG to develop strong and enduring relationships with Māori HIV service providers in order to allay the fears and anxieties that exist within some sectors of the Māori community.

“A key component of HIV surveillance systems is their acceptability by communities,” he said.

“It is important that Māori be consulted about how HIV data are collected, analysed and reported,” he stated. “This is especially important as we prepare to enter the fourth decade of HIV with no sign of a cure in sight.”

“Some sectors of the Māori community are adversely affected by HIV and it is vitally important our surveillance system continue to be robust and accurate in order to capture the changing patterns of the epidemic.”

Māori have concerns and anxieties about HIV in our community and the AIDS Epidemiology Group can play an important role in helping to dispel these fears.

By building relationships with the Māori community, the AIDS Epidemiology Group will derive significant benefit and this will make a major contribution to the prevention of HIV in the Māori community and in the wider community.

ENDS

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