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2020: Unprecedented Number of
HIV-Positive Elderly
By Australian Ageing Agenda
October 19, 2010
Australia
An
unprecedented number of older people will be living with HIV and
HIV-related conditions by 2020, adding further pressure to
Australia
’s already strained health and aged care system.
A new report released
this week, commissioned by the National Association of People Living with
HIV (NAPWA), predicted that in ten years time
Australia
will experience a relative increase in its older HIV-positive population,
an increase in the number of new HIV infections, and a greater proportion
of people with HIV living outside major metropolitan areas.
It also states that
of the nation’s HIV-positive population, 44 per cent will be aged 55 and
over, compared to the current statistic of 26 per cent.
Head of the
NCHECR’s Surveillance and Epidemiology Program for Public Health,
Associate Professor David Wilson, explained the increase as being largely
due to the life-prolonging impact of effective antiretroviral treatments.
He also mentioned that people are now, typically older (in their late-30s)
when they become infected than what was once the case.
“Most PLHIV can now
have life expectancies close to the uninfected population if they are
regularly monitored by their doctors and take antiretroviral treatment as
recommended,” Associate Professor David Wilson said.
“The expected rise
in the average age of Australians living with HIV will present challenges
for health providers, as age-related medical issues such as cancer,
frailty and other morbidities start to increase.”
Associate Professor
Wilson stressed the need for Australian policy-makers, aged care
organisations and health professionals to plan for a one-third increase in
the total number of people living with HIV (PLHIV), from 21,000 now to
about 28,000 in 2020.
Action, he said,
should be taken now to ensure that there are enough specialist clinicans
employed and resources in place to be able to deal with the increase, as
it happens.
“Currently we have
specialists clinicians, skilled in this area but in the coming years these
clinicians will not only need to be skilled [in dealing with HIV-positive
issues] but also in the more complex issues like cancer, renal failure
[etc]…”
“This is a
preparatory study so that we can understand what is going to happen, so
that we can put some resources in place- an appropriate number of
clinicians with the appropriate training.”
The report also
highlighted that increasing numbers of HIV-positive Australians will, in
future, be living outside major metropolitan areas. This, Associate
Professor Wilson said, will therefore require more specialist clinicians
to be working beyond city borders.
“I am asking people
to recognise where things are moving to, and in light of this, what we
need to do.
“We need more well
organised structures and training needs to be more streamlined for people
coming through in aged care or other services. And this training needs to
be built up, well organised and more mainstream.”
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