APY Lands Tuberculosis Outbreak

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs a question about health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: SA Health has declared an outbreak of tuberculosis in the APY lands in the state's Far North, with approximately 10 cases confirmed so far. Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, and SA's TB Services clinical director, Dr Simone Barry, visited the APY lands this week to meet with community leaders, service providers, schools and the Nganampa Health Council in response to the outbreak. When were you first advised of the outbreak and has SA Health provided you, as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, a briefing on this outbreak? If so, what actions will you and your department be taking to assist?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:08): I thank the member for what is a very serious and important question relating to the health of people in the Far North-West of our state. I will have to go back and check, but it would be a number of weeks ago that I was first informed, and I think my colleague in another place the Hon. Chris Picton provided information to me by way of a minute three or four weeks ago from memory, but I will check to see those dates.

Very early February, I think, is when I was first informed of this. As Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and regularly visiting for a range of reasons the APY lands and taking a very keen interest in the health of Aboriginal people across South Australia, I had asked to be kept informed. I have been informed that there have been cases of TB reported in the APY lands in communities, and I understand that SA Health has undertaken steps to work with the community to manage the TB outbreak.

I know that the health department is working to ensure that a culturally appropriate response is undertaken and work is done with community, particularly with, as I think the member outlined, Nganampa Health, who are the local health providers that are commonwealth funded across the APY lands. I think they have six clinics in all the major communities across the APY lands.

I am aware, from questions asked since I first became aware of this, and I have liaised with my colleague the Minister for Health, that there has been a collaboration between SA Tuberculosis Services, the Communicable Disease Control Branch, the COVID planning and response branch—which obviously has some well built up and developed skills in responding to health issues—and SA Health's corporate team. We are also, as the honourable member outlined, working with Nganampa Health to ensure that they are in the best possible way working culturally appropriately with local communities to manage this outbreak.