FED: Fear is the enemy in the fight against infectious disease

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2006
FED: Fear is the enemy in the fight against infectious disease

SYDNEY, April 20 AAP - Fear is Australia's worst enemy in the fight against bioterrorism
and infectious disease such as Avian flu, a federal scientist says.

Dr James Robertson, of the Australian Federal Police, told a forum on infectious diseases
and international security that there was need for greater collaboration between health
and security agencies to raise public awareness.

"It seems to me that in this area our worst enemy is fear and it's fear of the unknown,"

Dr Robertson told the forum in Sydney.

"It's really vital that meaningful information is available to the public."

Security clearances presented a barrier for sharing sensitive public health information
and much of what was supported in the media was sensationalised and misleading, he said.

One of the greatest challenges in preparing for a possible sustained terrorist campaign
or a pandemic was Australia's relative inexperience in such matters until now.

"We have never tested how (Australians) would react in that situation," he said.

"It's important that we do understand what the community awareness is ... and raise
that awareness to appropriate levels.

"What we don't want to do is create fear."

The federal government recently had established a $20 million Chemical Biological Radiological
and Nuclear Data Centre to streamline the collection and sharing of such information,
he said.

Professor Tony Cunningham, of Westmead Hospital's Millennium Research Institute, said
it was important to keep bird flu in perspective.

"We need to balance what is a sensational disease which captures headlines and which
is likely to be an acute event," Professor Cunningham said.

"We shouldn't lose track of the insidious growth of HIV in our region."

Professor Cunningham said the federal government had recently committed $7 million
to strategic research to develop a rapid diagnostic test for Avian flu.

AAP ajc/cj/hn/pe/de

KEYWORD: DISEASE

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.