Commentary
Managing emerging infectious diseases: Is a federal system an impediment to effective laws?
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Correspondence: Genevieve Howse g.howse@latrobe.edu.au
Centre for Public Health Law, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Vic, Australia
Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2004, 1:7 doi:10.1186/1743-8462-1-7
Published: 19 November 2004Abstract
In the 1980's and 1990's HIV/AIDS was the emerging infectious disease. In 2003–2004 we saw the emergence of SARS, Avian influenza and Anthrax in a man made form used for bioterrorism. Emergency powers legislation in Australia is a patchwork of Commonwealth quarantine laws and State and Territory based emergency powers in public health legislation. It is time for a review of such legislation and time for consideration of the efficacy of such legislation from a country wide perspective in an age when we have to consider the possibility of mass outbreaks of communicable diseases which ignore jurisdictional boundaries.