Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697641104350.pdf (Australia)
Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence Force Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry.

I wanted to make sure that the panel appreciated two key points in relation to the efforts of veterans and their families in making these submissions.

1.

Firstly, writing these submissions has re-surfaced some raw and negative emotions for many contributors.
But it has also evoked feelings of comraderie and mateship for some who have made the effort to contribute knowing either that some of their fellow veterans are not currently in the right mental state to do so, or that their transparency will result in less suffering in the future.

2.
2.

Secondly, there is the practical matter that given the reduced mental and cognitive functioning of this particular group, writing the submissions was practically very difficult – for example, finding the words to use, trying to be articulate.

I can tell you that my husband spent many hours over a period of days writing his submission and I still had to proof-read and edit it.
My first memory of what I now understand to be an adverse health effect of his taking mefloquine was whilst my husband was actually in Rwanda.

I remember feeling incredibly disturbed by the way he spoke about the Rwandan people as if they were not human beings.

I also remember being very angry with him for what seemed to be his utter disregard for his own life - what I’m referring to here is his taking seemingly deliberate opportunities to inflame an already tense situation with the Rwandan Army.
He returned from Rwanda different - irritable, angry, irrational, unreasonable and self- focused – and eventually was diagnosed and started treatment for PTSD.

But despite 22 years of psychiatric treatment, where we have seen others successfully find treatment or management of their PTSD symptoms, he still hasn’t been wholly successful – and I agree with the assessment of his psychologists that although he does have PTSD, there is something else going on.
Mental health professionals have considered many other disorders but for one reason or another dismiss them as not being the appropriate diagnosis.

As I explained in my submission, we have separately investigated a number of side effects by visiting a variety of health professionals and having all manner of tests and scans.

The problem we have here is all I can give you is anecdotal evidence.

I don’t have scientific proof.


I can tell you that thanks to social media sites, we now know my husband's combination of signs and symptoms is common among others – both veterans and civilians such as holiday-makers (globally) who suspect mefloquine toxicity.

I can also tell you that this anecdotal evidence is mounting and starting to tell a pretty consistent and damning story.
Whilst there are certain scientific indicators, there are currently no definitive tests to prove mefloquine toxicity on a live human being.

There is some biopsy that can be performed on the brain stem which may pick up traces of mefloquine toxicity … but I will have to wait until my husband dies to ask for this test to be performed.

Families suffer!
Families suffer!

Consider the following: Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 51 - Supplementary Submission - how difficult it is to argue, negotiate, give instruction or explain something to someone with abnormal cognitive functioning?
- how much patience is required to converse with someone who loses their train of thought, goes off on tangents, forgets what they are saying mid-sentence or simply pauses for inordinate amounts of time trying to find the words?

- how hard it is to have a relationship with someone who is irrational, unreasonable, angry, irritable, depressed, and self-focused?

- how easy it would be to interpret disassociative behaviour for withdrawal of love and affection?
- how much the extra stress detrimentally impacts the health of family members?

I’m not interested in assigning blame.

Rather, there are 5 things I would like to come out of this Senate Inquiry: 1.

Acknowledgement and acceptance of the existence of the permanent adverse health effects of mefloquine; 2.

Education of medical doctors and specialists so they understand the permanent adverse health effects that can arise; 3.
Funding for long-term studies* and research into o methods or tests for the detection of mefloquine toxicity; o treatment to mitigate the adverse health effects; 4.

Real and practical support for affected veterans and their families; and 5.

Legislation prohibiting the testing of drugs on ADF personnel.
*In relation to the suggested long term study/research, of paramount importance is to ensure independence and pure motives of those involved, to ensure that Dr Nevin is included in the whole process, and to ensure an appropriate sample size is chosen from the population of those who have taken these drugs and follow them for the next 20+ years.

I truly hope that something really tangible comes out of this Inquiry.

We are putting our trust in you.

Thank you for listening.


Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 51 - Supplementary Submission