Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in the House today to speak on the scale of the tuberculosis threat to Papua New Guinea and Australia's aid program. Papua New Guinea is the largest developing country in the South Pacific region. We are internationally recognised for our leading role in the region, particularly in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. But what I want to say first and foremost is that delivering health services for Papua New Guinea nationals is the responsibility of the PNG government. Australia can only play a supporting role.

About one-third of the world's population is infected with the organism that causes TB, but only about 10 per cent of these people will go on to develop the disease. Once you are infected you can develop the disease at any time, but it is most likely to occur within two years. Australian government agencies are working with the Queensland and Papua New Guinea governments to more effectively treat PNG residents with TB on the PNG side of the border so that they can get their health care at home, which is very important. The Gillard Labor government is providing $1.1 million through AusAID to help ramp up PNG's capacity to treat TB cases in the Western Province, the PNG region closest to Australia. Australian support has already seen PNG make headway, and this additional funding is further ramping up their capacity to treat TB cases in Papua New Guinea.

In my childhood, TB was fairly common, even in Tasmania, and there are still occasional cases in my state. We should be attacking this disease at the source, which is in Papua New Guinea. I understand that our support will help to recruit health staff to improve TB services at Daru Hospital and outreach services in villages along the south coast. This is something we should be very proud of. Other initiatives include the construction of an isolation ward at Daru Hospital, a pilot incentive scheme to improve patient compliance in completing TB medication, training for community members to support TB treatment compliance in communities, training for laboratory staff in Daru in diagnosing TB and continuing support to increase laboratory diagnostic capacity. The government is providing an additional $740,000 to temporarily support Queensland Health TB clinics while PNG's TB care capabilities in the Western Province are improving and to ensure an appropriate transition of TB patients from Queensland Health to PNG. I am advised that Australian and PNG clinicians are working cooperatively to hand over the patients. The first handover of PNG TB patients from Australian TB clinics to PNG took place last month. It was successful, with 21 multidrug resistant TB patients handed over. Two further handover clinics will be held, one in December and one in February.

World Vision reports that, in Papua New Guinea, there are still many misconceptions about TB. Many people believe that TB is caused by sorcery, while others believe that it is transmitted through sharing utensils. Misinformation and lack of education have become barriers to finding a cure. Adolescents and adults who have pulmonary tuberculosis can spread the disease when they cough. One person can unknowingly infect dozens. Those infected may not even realise that it is the disease, which may remain dormant and undetected for years before reactivating and making them ill. This often occurs when the immune system is weakened by HIV infection. If caught early, tuberculosis is curable. However, patients need to receive treatment for six to nine months. Stopping the treatment early leads to a recurrence of the disease, other people becoming infected and, sometimes, antibiotic resistance.

Our approach will provide better long-term health outcomes for PNG residents and is supported by the World Health Organisation. Health is a priority for Australia's aid program in PNG. In 2010, Australia provided $43 million to help to strengthen PNG's health services across the country. This is a significant investment. Through the PNG-Australian Partnership for Development program, we are supporting PNG's own priorities by focusing on four key areas: health, including HIV; education; transport infrastructure; and law and justice. According to AusAID, in 2010 Australia funded 539,000 new textbooks for over 3,400 primary schools and eight teacher-training colleges in PNG. Our support allowed for the abolition of school fees for the first three grades of basic education, supporting the aim of the PNG government to abolish school fees by 2015. Measles vaccination coverage had declined from 67 per cent to 58 per cent in 2009, and was at 59 per cent in 2010. The proportion of children under one year of age fully vaccinated against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and influenza type B increased from 66 per cent in 2009 to 70 per cent in 2010. This is significant. The Australian government's overseas aid program is improving the lives of millions of people in developing countries. Australia is working with the governments of people in developing countries to develop aid programs where they are most needed and will be most effective. Australian aid has helped our neighbours as well as countries further abroad, and our aid program continues to grow. For example, Australia's aid has wiped out polio from the Pacific. This is a significant achievement. Australian aid has seen more than 1.5 million children immunised against measles and polio in Papua New Guinea. We have a proud record.

Despite a growing global population, the world has made solid progress in the fight against poverty over the past 40 years. A woman's chance of dying during childbirth has dropped by 50 per cent. The chance of an adult not being able to read has halved. The average life expectancy in developing countries has increased by 20 years. Australian aid has contributed to these achievements. It is making a difference to the lives of our neighbours and it is boosting growth and stability in our region. I was pleased to have the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, visit my electorate earlier this year to discuss the effectiveness of our aid program. This was a worthwhile visit.

Many constituents in my electorate were keen to find out where our aid money was being spent and to learn about the benefits coming from it. As I have said in this House before, there are many passionate people in my electorate who often talk to me about the Millennium Development Goals and the importance of our aid program. These people include the young people from Results International, who often write to me, my good friend Syd Edwards, Jeff McKinnon and his family and many others. I thank them for their support and commend Australia's aid program.

Papua New Guinea faces critical constraints on its development and it has some of the worst health and education outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by high levels of poverty and a largely rural population who are often living in remote locations. As one of Australia's closest neighbours and oldest friends, it is in our interest to help Papua New Guinea improve the lives of its people.

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