Annual Surveillance Report of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs 2008

The Annual Surveillance Report has been published each year since 1997. The Annual Surveillance Report provides a comprehensive analysis of HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia and includes estimates of incidence and prevalence of HIV and viral hepatitis, by demographic and risk groups, patterns of treatment for HIV and viral hepatitis infection, and behavioural risk factors for HIV and hepatitis C infection.

Figures published in each Annual Surveillance Report are also available in a downloadable slide set.

Key findings
  • By 31 December 2007, 27,331 diagnoses of HIV infection, 10,303 diagnoses of AIDS and 6,767 deaths following AIDS had occurred in Australia.
  • The per capita rate of diagnosis of hepatitis C infection in Australia declined by 17% over the past five years to 58.8 per 100,000 population in 2007.
  • Chlamydia was the most frequently reported notifiable condition in Australia in 2007 with 51,867 reported diagnoses. The population rate of diagnosis of chlamydia in 2007 was 245 per 100,000 population, a 7%
    increase over the rate in 2006, continuing the increase seen over the past ten years.
  • The population rate of diagnosis of gonorrhoea increased from 33.7 in 2003 to 41.3 in 2006 and declined to 36.1 in 2007.
  • The rate of diagnosis of infectious syphilis more than doubled from 3.1 in 2004 to 6.6 in 2007. These increases predominantly occurred among homosexual men.