Argument for inclusion of Strongyloidiasis in the Australian National Notifiable Disease list CQU.pdf (388.47 kB)
Argument for inclusion of Strongyloidiasis in the Australian National Notifiable Disease list
journal contribution
posted on 2022-09-13, 06:39 authored by M Beknazarova, H Whiley, Jennifer JuddJennifer Judd, J Shield, W Page, Adrian MillerAdrian Miller, M Whittaker, K RossStrongyloidiasis is an infection caused by the helminth, Strongyloides stercoralis. Up to 370 million people are infected with the parasite globally, and it has remained endemic in the Indigenous Australian population for many decades. Strongyloidiasis has been also reported in other Australian populations. Ignorance of this disease has caused unnecessary costs to the government health system, and been detrimental to the Australian people’s health. This manuscript addresses the 12 criteria required for a disease to be included in the Australian National Notifiable Disease List (NNDL) under the National Health Security Act 2007 (Commonwealth). There are six main arguments that provide compelling justification for strongyloidiasis to be made nationally notifiable and added to the Australian NNDL. These are: The disease is important to Indigenous health, and closing the health inequity gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is a priority; a public health response is required to detect cases of strongyloidiasis and to establish the true incidence and prevalence of the disease; there is no alternative national surveillance system to gather data on the disease; there are preventive measures with high efficacy and low side effects; data collection is feasible as cases are definable by microscopy, PCR, or serological diagnostics; and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) # 6 on clean water and sanitation.
History
Volume
3Issue
2Start Page
1End Page
11Number of Pages
11ISSN
2414-6366Publisher
MDPI AGPublisher DOI
Full Text URL
Additional Rights
CC BY 4.0Peer Reviewed
- Yes
Open Access
- Yes
Acceptance Date
2018-05-31External Author Affiliations
Flinders University; JCU;CDU;La Trobe Miwatj Aboriginal Health ServicesAuthor Research Institute
- Centre for Indigenous Health Equity Research
Era Eligible
- Yes