Emerging Infectious Diseases – Control, Ethics and Management

The Australian Embassy is proud to present today the second part of Austrade’s Alumni and Education Workshop Series entitled “Emerging Infectious Diseases – Control, Ethics and Management” in Jakarta.

“Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and influenza have long been major health concerns in Indonesia. This workshop aims to forge a closer relationship between Australia and Indonesia in the education sector regarding healthcare,” said Mr Leith Doody, Regional Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Indonesia.

The main driving factors behind emerging infectious diseases include the increase of air travel, rapid pace of urbanisation and population growth, further complicated by biological developments resulting in the rapid emergence of new, potentially harmful bacteria and parasites.

Australia’s high quality biomedical science and education sector has seen a number of global success stories which demonstrate Australia’s capabilities in this area including Professor Ian Frazer’s development of a vaccine for cervical cancer, for which he was named “Australian of the year” in 2006.

Australian education enjoys extensive support from the Government particularly in funding for higher education research. From 2004-09, over $3 billion of Government funding was allocated for more than 20,350 new and ongoing research programs. This allows students at Australian universities benefit of undertaking specialised research projects during their course of study.

Dr Muki Reksoprodjo of the Indonesian Hospital Association and Professor Bruce Robinson, Dean of the Medical School at the University of Sydney will open workshop sessions and participants of the series can hear specialists from the Sydney Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity of the University of Sydney speak about their areas of expertise.

Prof Tania Sorrell – Director of Sydney Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity (SEIB)/Director for Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (CIDM)
Professor Lyn Gilbert – SEIB/ Director OF CIDM Public Health, Western Sydney Health Cluster
Professor Alison Kesson – SEIB/ Head of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Westmead Children’s Hospital
Professor Dominic Dwyer – SEIB/ Director of Laboratory Services & Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead

Media Enquiries:
Ray Marcelo, Counsellor, Public Affairs Tel. (021) 2550 5290, mob. 0811 187 3175