health Menace

[?]NG Take-Over Raises health Menace

’he transfer of the Dutch New nea Territory to Indonesian lership is going to have more than tical significance for Australian v Guinea. Within 10 days of the of Dutch administration, the •tralian Administration had one of problems placed right on its door —an outbreak of cholera in the ote south coast district of Agats, G, which is about 200 miles in irect line due west of the Aus an border.

ITHIN 16 days of the first report of the outbreak, 120 people were 1 from the disease and the P-NG linistration had announced a s immunisation campaign •ngst 50,000 P-NG natives living he Sepik border districts of New aea and the Western District of □a. he campaign will be confined to coastal area, where there has lys been free mingling of people i both territories, and around i inland areas as Kiunga where e are native trade routes. At the e time it has become compul for travellers from WNG to G and Australia to have a valid era certificate as well as a valid llpox vaccination, tie problem of vaccinating 50,000 )le in these primitive border areas be imagined. Inoculation against era is usually by two injections, eek apart, and the safety period igarded as only six months there tie P-NG campaign will consist of one injection and there are at ;nt no plans for periodic repeat Drmances. To keep the people g the whole length of the border lanently protected would take an / of medical personnel. iere has never been an outbreak ;ither cholera or smallpox on :r side of the New Guinea border, is been suggested that the present reak has been caused by in d tobacco that Indonesian para ps brought with them to WNG. n even bigger fear is that small and animal diseases could spread i Indonesia into West New lea and from there to Australian Guinea. Indonesia is one of the d’s reservoirs of smallpox and lal foot and mouth disease is pre there also