Our College, Our Profession

[Professor Ramon Shaban, ACIPC President]

Dear ACIPC Members,

In recent weeks you will have seen that the College has published its first
set of media releases for 2016 covering a range of topics. These topics
have included non-reimbursement for preventable healthcare-acquired
infections; the health and welfare of asylum seekers, refugees and children
in detention; and the recent measles outbreak in Victoria, Australia and
the importance of vaccination.

These media releases have raised the profile of the issues therein and
generated considerable discussion and debate. The purpose of a media
release is to express a view about a particular matter at a point in time,
and in a timely manner. ACIPC media releases do not represent the view of a
single individual, and they do not represent the view of any one office
bearer of the College. Moreover, they in no way seek to unilaterally speak
for each and every member on particular issues. They represent the view of
the College more broadly as an institution through the duly elected
representatives on the ACIPC Executive Council. All media releases, like
other forms of official College correspondence and communication, are
prepared, sanctioned and approved by the ACIPC Executive Council. All
members of the ACIPC Executive Council are formally afforded the
opportunity to raise, comment on and approve media releases for the
College, and they do so. This is standard practice for the College, and it
is what occurred for these media releases.

Some readers, including College members and others in the wider community,
have expressed their agreement or support for the recently published media
releases published by the College. Others have expressed opposing views.
And others have expressed no view at all. That is the express purpose and
intended consequence of these instruments. In expressing a particular view,
media releases raise the profile of the issue at hand with individuals,
communities, groups and society more broadly for discussion and debate.
What follows is a matter of course. Some will agree; others will disagree.
Some will be ambivalent; others indifferent, or silent. What is important
is that the discussion and debate is permitted to occur, and that it occurs
in a way that allows individuals to form their own view, however popular or
not at the time, free of duress and undue influence. Moreover individuals
should be able to, and are expected to, express their opinion
professionally in contributing to the discussion and debate. These are
hallmarks of a democratic and civilised society. At the heart of our work
as a College and as professionals is scholarly, respectful and informed
democratic discussion and debate. In promulgating these media releases, the
ACIPC Executive Council welcomes and encourages scholarly, respectful and
informed discussion and debate by its members on all matters relating to
our work and to College business, on those terms. Media releases are one
such vehicle to enable this to occur.

Some readers have raised concerns regarding the relevance of the ACIPC
media release around the health and welfare of asylum seekers, refugees and
children in detention to our core business of infection prevention and
control. The media release was prompted by the issues raised by the AMA
President, Professor Brian Owler, in a speech he gave on 21 February 2016.
In his speech, Professor Owler referred specifically to a recent and highly
publicised Australian case, where a 24-year old Iranian asylum seeker died
from a treatable condition. He died of sepsis, preventable sepsis. Sepsis
is a focus of individual infection control professionals, of our profession
as a whole, and it is the business of our College.

Some readers have expressed concerns that, in promulgating these media
releases, the College has entered the political domain for the first time
and in a manner out of step with other scholarly professions or our
history. The College is not, as many have already pointed out, a
principally political organisation. That is not our principal mandate.
However, the ACIPC Executive Council suggests that if we consider the
substance of the three most recent media releases, it would be very
difficult to see how any of these issues do not have political dimensions.
The reality is that in our contemporary society there are few aspects to
health and healthcare that are truly apolitical or free from political
consequence. Accordingly professional colleges, learned societies,
governments and non-government organisations across Australia and around
the world believe it is important to be engaged in a broader conversation
about health and healthcare. Many of these have exercised their
constitutional jurisdiction and function to express an opinion in time
regarding particular matters through media releases and other instruments.
This has been the Colleges course of action: to contribute to the
conversation, discussion and debate in meaningful ways at this time.
Importantly, media releases are instruments set in time, place and context.
By their nature, they reflect a position at a given point in time. They do
not represent an inexorable binding alignment to any particular view
expressed therein, nor do they imply an enduring alignment, political or
otherwise, with any other agency who expresses similar views at the time.
Equally, they do not represent enduring disagreement with any agency that
expresses a contrary view. Times change, and particular positions expressed
at one time are inevitably called into question as information and
circumstances change. If they didnt, and if it wasnt for individuals like
Pasteur, Fleming and Semmelweiss and many others who each expressed
particular positions in their time, we would all be in a very different
place today. Vaccines and pasteurisation do prevent disease, antibiotics do
treat infection, and infection control is fundamental to our health and
well-being.

What is common to these media releases and the various other facets of
College business is their overarching purpose. We are the peak body for
infection prevention and control professionals in the Australasian region.
Our focus is the prevention and control of infection in our communities. At
the heart of this is the health and well-being of individuals and the
community. Advancing the health and well-being of others calls for advocacy
at all levels, and that includes peak bodies. Advocacy is an important
hallmark of a profession and individual professionals. Yet by its very
nature, we will not always all agree. And that is OK. ACIPC members are
entitled and encouraged to form their views about matters that are before
them, and to express representations of those views professionally and
respectfully. The ACIPC Executive Council expects no less of its members,
and certainly no less of itself. We welcome your active participation in
your College through scholarly, respectful and informed discussion and
debate as we grow and develop our profession of infection prevention and
control.

With kind regards

Ramon
*Professor Ramon Shaban, ACIPC President*

*On behalf of The ACIPC Executive Council*

Professor Ramon Shaban, ACIPC President

Professor Marilyn Cruickshank, President Elect

Ms Belinda Henderson, Immediate Past President

Ms Wendy Beckingham

Dr Sharon Salmon

Ms Donna Cameron

Mr Phil Russo

Dr Deborough Macbeth

Ms Fiona Wilson

Dr Thea van de Mortel

Mr Peter Martin

Kind regards,
Ramon

[image: ACIPC_Logo_Colour_RGB_Hi_Res.jpg]

*Professor Ramon Z ShabanPRESIDENT*

Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control

GPO Box 3254, Brisbane Qld 4001

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