City’s disease rise worrying

THE Gold Coast has one of Queensland’s highest numbers of new cases of HIV, with 30 residents told they had the disease last year.

It was the state’s third highest level of new notifications, behind the Metro North health region, where 57 new cases were diagnosed and the Metro South health region on 37.

Last year’s figures bring to 129 the number of residents infected since 2012.

There were 31 notifications in 2015, 25 in 2014, 19 in 2013 and 24 in 2012. Statewide, 193 people were found to have the disease last year.

Research shows about 68 per cent of transmissions occur among men who have sex with men; 20 per cent occur following heterosexual sex; and 3 per cent occur via injecting drugs. 2016: 30 2015: 31 2014: 25 2013: 19 2012: 24 TOTAL: 129

HIV Foundation Queensland chairman Dr Darren Russell said the number of notifications was low given the Coast’s overall population of 556,000.

However, he said there was reason to be concerned because the figures should be falling on the back of intensive local prevention strategies.

“We’re not sure if the Gold Coast rise is due to the increase in testing opportunities, whether it is an actual increase in infections or if it is just a re- flection of the area’s growing population,” Dr Russell said.

People at high risk of HIV can join the state’s pre-exposure prophylaxis trial, requiring them to take a tablet a day to reduce their risk of contracting the disease. The trial costs the health system about $750 per patient per year.

Dr Russell said HIV rarely turned into life-limiting AIDS as it did in the 1970s and 1980s.

“The new treatments have virtually no side-effects and one tablet a day can keep the person healthy,” he said.

Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick said the State Government hoped to reduce transmissions to zero.

“The Palaszczuk Government is working with non-government organisations and the community towards virtual elimination of new HIV transmissions in Queensland by 2020,” he said.