More than 700 people have now been screened as part of the State Government’s bolstered efforts to fight the Tuberculosis outbreak on the APY Lands.
SA Health has been working closely with the Aṉangu community to address the Tuberculosis outbreak on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
An investment of $1.9m through a State Government package announced in June, is supporting efforts to fight the outbreak by delivering tailored community engagement and education while upskilling health practitioners who may not have seen cases of Tuberculosis in their clinical practice before.
Health Minister Chris Picton has been visiting the APY Lands this week to see first-hand the impact of some of this important work.
The TB outbreak was declared in March, after 10 cases were diagnosed.
Updated genome sequencing analyses from SA TB Services has now confirmed 13 cases are linked to this outbreak. This includes 11 current active cases, one historical case and sadly, one historical death. Ongoing community-wide screening has focused on those most at-risk including close contacts and school children.
More than 700 people have been screened since targeted screening began in December.
The Aboriginal Public Health team from the Department for Health and Wellbeing, SA TB Services within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Pathology and South Australia Medical Imaging (SAMI) have been working closely with the Nganampa Health Council (NHC) and local Anangu community leaders to coordinate testing, screening, contact tracing and treatment for those who require it.
The teams have undertaken five deployment trips to the APY Lands since December. These visits include meeting with community, conducting community screening, coordinating healthcare and delivering communication materials in language.
Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier joined the deployment team for the August visit. Over four days she met with health services, elders and community, visited federal ministers and assisted with Tuberculosis screening.
As put by Chris Picton
It is important to be visiting the APY Lands this week so I can see first-hand the impact of this vital work.
Tuberculosis is preventable and curable and we are committed to doing all we can to stop this cluster from growing. We are promoting awareness and facilitating quick testing and treatment.
Our response is built on strong relationships with the APY Lands Anangu Community and service providers and valuing local expertise through employing local people to deliver care and engagement.
As put by SA TB Services Clinical Director, Dr Simone Barry
Outbreaks of Tuberculosis are not common in Australia but when they do occur, it is important that they are promptly managed to treat, contain and eliminate the disease.
Our clinical work has been made possible thanks to the collaborative input from Nganampa Health Council and we are very grateful to have been given access to their clinical facilities and staff expertise.
As put by Chief Public Health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier
Our response is aligned with the national strategy to eliminate Tuberculosis transmission in Australia.
Unlike some other diseases, active Tuberculosis can take years to develop after being infected, and months of complex medication to treat.
We have strong partnerships and will be continuing our efforts for many more months to support the communities on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
