Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 24 March is World Tuberculosis Day (WTD);

(b) WTD is a designated WHO global public health campaign and is an annual event that marks the anniversary of the 1882 discovery by German Nobel Laureate, Dr Robert Koch, of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis;

(c) tuberculosis is contagious and airborne—it ranks as the world's second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent and left untreated, each person with active tuberculosis disease will infect on average 10 to 15 people every year;

(d) the theme for WTD in 2015 is 'Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone';

(e) in 2013, 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis worldwide with 40 per cent of deaths occurring in countries in the lndo-Pacific region;

(f) Papua New Guinea has the highest rate of tuberculosis infection in the Pacific, with an estimated 39,000 total cases and 25,000 infections each year;

(g) the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis continues to increase worldwide—rising from 450,000 cases in 2012 to 480,000 cases in 2013, with more than half of multidrug resistant tuberculosis cases found in our region; and

(h) tuberculosis is:

  (i) the leading cause of death among HIV positive people—HIV weakens the immune system and is lethal in combination with tuberculosis, each contributing to the other's progress; and

  (ii) considered to be a preventable and treatable disease, however current treatment tools, drugs, diagnostics and vaccines are outdated and ineffective; and

(2) recognises:

(a) Australia's resolve to continue to work towards combatting the challenge of tuberculosis in the region and the need for discovery, development and rapid uptake of new tools, interventions and strategies as recognised in the WHO End TB Strategy;

(b) the WHO End TB Strategy was endorsed by all member states at the 2014 World Health Assembly and aims to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2035;

(c) the Australian Government funding of health and medical research is helping to bring new medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines to market for tuberculosis and other neglected diseases; and

(d) the ongoing support for research and development of new simple and affordable treatment tools for tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is essential if the WHO End TB Strategy goal is to be met.

Today, 24 March 2015, is World Tuberculosis Day. World Tuberculosis Day is a designated World Health Organisation global public health campaign, and is an annual event that marks the anniversary of the 1882 discovery by German Nobel Laureate Dr Robert Koch of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The theme for World Tuberculous Day in 2015 is 'Reach the 3 million: Find. Treat. Cure TB'.

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious and airborne disease. It ranks as the world's second-leading cause of death from a single infectious mosquito, second only to HIV-AIDS, and if left untreated each person with active tuberculosis disease will infect on average 10 to 15 other people every year. For those already infected with HIV, tuberculosis is the leading cause of death. HIV weakens the immune system and is lethal in combination with TB—each contributing to the other's progress. In 2013, 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis worldwide, with 40 per cent of deaths occurring in countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Papua New Guinea has the highest rate of tuberculosis infection in the Pacific with an estimated 39,000 total cases and 25,000 infections each year. Tragically, about three million TB sufferers are missed every year, which prevents these people from receiving essential care and treatment for the disease. Twelve countries account for 75 per cent of missed cases, and South Asia and Africa account for nearly two-thirds.

Through increased awareness and treatment nearly 22 million lives have been saved from TB since 1995, and there has been a 45 per cent decrease in TB deaths since 1990, but there is much more to be done. While TB is considered to be a preventable and treatable disease, current treatment tools, drugs, diagnostics and vaccines are outdated and ineffective. The prevalence of multidrug resistant tuberculosis continues to increase worldwide, rising from 450,000 cases in 2012 to 480,000 cases in 2013, with more than half of multidrug resistant tuberculosis cases found in our region.

The World Health Organisation's End TB Strategy was endorsed by all member states at the 2014 World Health Assembly and aims to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2035, with full elimination by 2050. The Australian government is continuing to work toward combatting the challenge of tuberculosis in the region and the need for discovery, development and rapid uptake of new tools, interventions and strategies to achieve this goal. The Australian government's funding of health and medical research is helping to bring new medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines to market for tuberculosis and other neglected diseases. The Minister for Foreign Affairs recently announced an assistance package for Papua New Guinea. The additional funding of $15 million will focus on improving the treatment of drug resistant strains of TB, and brings the Australian government's total assistance package to $60 million to support the control of tuberculosis in PNG. Additionally, Australia's commitment of $200 million over 2014-16 to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has helped diagnose and treat 12.3 million cases of TB, eight million of whom live in the Asia-Pacific region. The global fund provides 75 per cent of global funding for TB treatment.

I acknowledge the work of Policy Cures, Results and other organisations involved in the fight against TB who marked this year's World Tuberculosis Day with the Minister for Foreign Affairs launching the Australasian Tuberculosis Forum, ATF, which has been established to facilitate greater recognition for the policymakers, clinicians, patients, scientists and public health workers working for tuberculosis control and elimination in our region. The ongoing support for the research and development of new, simple and affordable treatment tools for tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis is essential if the World Health Organization's End TB strategy goals are to be met. I commend this motion to the House. (Time expired)

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