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Aboriginal health groups say the federal and Northern Territory governments haven't acted fast enough to stem the spread of diphtheria in remote communities across northern Australia. About 220 cases have been reported nationally, with more than half in the Northern Territory alone. The Northern Territory government has defended its response with the health minister speaking to media for the first time today.

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00:02More vaccines and a surge workforce are now on the way.
00:06But coming months after the first worrying signs of this outbreak emerged.
00:12With our territory government community controlled health services in Alice Springs in particular
00:18started lobbying the government way back in early April.
00:23The federal government's $7.2 million support package
00:27welcomed by Aboriginal community controlled medical groups.
00:30Anxious to see the roll out.
00:32The government's taken a number of weeks to respond
00:37but they have responded in a comprehensive way.
00:39They just do need to in future respond much more quickly than they have.
00:43The NT government defensive despite very little public messaging before now
00:48and nothing in Aboriginal languages.
00:51There has been press conference.
00:53The Chief Health Officer has communicated regularly with the media in the Northern Territory.
00:58The NT has recorded 157 cases of the disease including one suspected death.
01:04Mostly among First Nations people with the sharpest rise in the past month.
01:09I think it will still spread quite a bit.
01:13And this is to do with housing, poor housing, poor environmental health.
01:18No one is immune from this.
01:19We must make sure that we work as a country.
01:23I've gone and got my booster shot to make sure that we as adults,
01:28this isn't just about children, are responsible as well.
01:31Peak health bodies holding on to hope.
01:33I think we will contain it over the next few months.
01:36And hoping support arrives soon enough.
01:39Peak health bodies keeping theDear
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