Debate resumed, on motion by Mr Laurie Ferguson:

That this House:

(1)

recognises that 24 March is World Tuberculosis Day, in observance of a disease that still claims the lives of 1.7 million people every year, and which:

(a)

is currently the leading killer of people living with HIV and the third leading killer of women;

(b)

has the highest growth in the South East Asian region, which accounted for the largest number of new Tuberculosis cases in 2008; and

(c)

could be dramatically reduced by improved detection and diagnosis;

(2)

recognises that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) currently provides more than two thirds of the global funding to combat Tuberculosis, and that:

(a)

Australia could supplement its recent pledge to the Global Fund to ensure that the resources for Tuberculosis as well as AIDS and Malaria are sufficient to achieve the goal of significantly reducing the number of people suffering from these diseases; and

(b)

action by Australia to supplement its pledge would influence other donor countries to increase their pledges;

(3)

acknowledges that the widespread adoption of the new Xpert diagnostic tool, which cuts the time for diagnosis from several weeks to two hours, would lead to significant improvements in the detection and treatment of Tuberculosis; and

(4)

requests the Government facilitate the adoption of Xpert in South East Asia.

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