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Screening for conditions of public health importance in people arriving in Australia by boat without authority
Author(s) -
King Kathleen,
Vodicka Peter
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143742.x
Subject(s) - medicine , tuberculosis , carriage , immigration , public health , hepatitis b , population , incidence (geometry) , hepatitis , hepatitis c , family medicine , environmental health , pediatrics , demography , immunology , pathology , geography , physics , archaeology , sociology , optics
Objective To determine the prevalence of tuberculosis, hepatitis B carriage and markers of hepatitis C and HIV infection in people detained in immigration reception and processing centres in Australia. Design and setting Eighteen‐month survey of medical conditions of public health importance in people detained at the immigration reception and processing centres at Curtin and Port Hedland in Western Australia and Woomera in South Australia. Participants 7000 detainees (5742 adults and 1258 children and teenagers aged < 18 years) between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2001. Main outcome measures People treated for active tuberculosis; issuing of health undertakings to report to a chest clinic for follow‐up of inactive tuberculosis; and confirmation of hepatitis B carrier status or hepatitis C or HIV infection. Results Eleven people required treatment for tuberculosis (in nine the diagnosis was confirmed bacteriologically), representing a prevalence of 157 cases per 1 population. This rate is much higher than the incidence in Australia in 1998 of 4.93 cases per 1 population, but comparable with rates in the source countries. Health undertakings were issued to 973 people (13.9%). Of these, 682 (70.1%) were for inactive tuberculosis (26 in association with hepatitis B carriage [16] or hepatitis C infection [10]); and 156, 58 and two health undertakings were for hepatitis B carriage, and hepatitis C and HIV infection, respectively. Conclusions The health‐screening program at immigration reception and processing centres detects significant numbers of conditions of public health importance, enabling treatment and surveillance to the benefit of the people detained and the Australian community.