Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My constituent question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting. The member from Leichhardt has the call. I will start the clock again.

Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

my constituent question is to the minister for international development and the Pacific. How is the government supporting efforts in my electorate of Leichhardt to guard against the resurgence of tropical diseases in the Pacific, such as tuberculosis and malaria?

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Leichhardt for his question. As co-chair of the Asia Pacific TB Caucus and also as co-chair of the Australian National TB Caucus, the member for Leichhardt has a longstanding interest in the challenges that extend to tuberculosis, and that is understandable. As a kid from Far North Queensland originally—I know the deep and abiding interest that the member for Leichhardt has in Far North Queensland—the area shares the tropical climate with many of the Pacific Island countries, for which I have portfolio responsibility. The challenges across this region are profound, especially in relation to health. That is why the Australian government has the Health for Development strategy and that is part of the reason that the member of the Leichhardt has been particularly passionate about the challenges that exist with tuberculosis.

If you look at PNG, for example: in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, the challenge from tuberculosis is very significant—particularly the challenge around multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. I know anecdotally that we hear reports about people with tuberculosis who are starting to appear in some of our hospitals and our regional health network across tropical Far North Queensland. In that respect, the Australian government is investing resources as well as knowledge—knowledge such as that which has been gained by the member for Leichhardt, and resources such as the $60 million that we put into the fight against tuberculosis.

It is not purely tuberculosis; it is also mosquito borne diseases, such as malaria. Australia has been working in a very cooperative way across the region to ensure that, where possible, we are able to lend our intellectual property through knowledge to the Pacific region in the fight against malaria. In that respect Australia is co-chair of APLMA—that is the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance—and we are able to invest and put forward a road map to eliminate malaria, we hope, across the region by 2030. That work done through APLMA, which has been led by Australia, will help to save lives and make a very significant difference across the Pacific region as well.

But I am also pleased to say that in malaria we have seen some real work and development done in the member's electorate of Leichhardt. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, perhaps one of the premier institutions when it comes to investing in global health initiatives, was able to put some $2.8 million into the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine. That institute, which I know the member for Leichhardt is a big fan and of, really exemplifies the kinds of innovative approaches that are being undertaken in Australia in relation to eliminating where possible the threat of malaria across the region. So I commend the people of Leichhardt and the member for Leichhardt for his long-term interest in tackling the scourge of malaria and tuberculosis.