Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am grateful for this opportunity this evening to rise and briefly acknowledge that today, 24 March, marks World Tuberculosis Day, which aims to raise awareness of the fact that, even in today's modern world, tuberculosis is a disease that causes the death of nearly 1.5 million people each year. The date for World Tuberculosis Day is chosen because 24 March marks the anniversary of the day in 1882 that German Nobel Laureate, Dr Robert Koch, discovered the bacterium which causes the disease.

I think most Australians would be surprised to learn of the prevalence of TB in today's world. Many of us think of it as a disease that has been consigned to history. But, in fact, the World Health Organisation estimates that around 9 million people contracted the disease in 2013 and, as I mentioned a moment ago, around 1.5 million lost their lives to TB in that year alone. The overwhelming bulk of these cases occur in developing nations. Further, the World Health Organisation estimates suggest around two billion of the world's citizens are infected with latent TB. That is almost one third of the world's population—and the chance of latent TB becoming active in a person's lifetime is around 10 per cent. Those at highest risk are those with compromised immune systems—people living with HIV, the undernourished and smokers are at particular risk. TB is ultimately responsible for around a quarter of all HIV-related deaths.

Last night, as chair of the Parliamentary Liaison Group for HIV/AIDS, Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections, I was pleased to join with a number of parliamentary colleagues from all parties, including Senator Moore who is in the chamber this evening, to attend an event here in Parliament House to launch the Australasian Tuberculosis Forum. We were joined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Julie Bishop, representing the Prime Minister, who announced that Australia will offer further support towards the eradication of tuberculosis and malaria in the Indo-Pacific region. This $30 million investment over three years will help with the introduction of new diagnostic tests and drugs to deal with the epidemic. When we say 'developing nations', many Australians automatically tend to think of the nations of Africa. But it is important to realise that this epidemic is one that that is very much occurring in our own region. More than half of global TB cases—around 56 per cent—occur in the Asia-Pacific, with our nearest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, being especially hard hit at present.

Last night's function was also addressed by the chair of the newly formed Australasian Tuberculosis Forum, Dr Justin Denholm, who offered some interesting historical analogies. In Australia, 100 years ago, TB was contracted by around 100 people in every 100,000—which is about the same as the rate as those affected today in Malaysia or Thailand. In Australia now, the infection rate is fewer than just six in every 100,000—meaning there has been roughly a 20-fold decrease in infections over the past century. That is, indeed, a very happy story. Our challenge is now to determine the best way to share that good fortune with our neighbours. Announcements such as the one made by Minister Bishop last night are an important part of the process.

Last evening's function also heard some harrowing personal stories, including one from Mrs Louie Zepeda, a young woman from the Philippines who was on her way to building a strong career as an architect before contracting tuberculosis meningitis. Regrettably, her condition worsened, with the effects including paralysis, insomnia and psychosis from the gruelling treatment regime that she undertook. Eventually, the treatment left Mrs Zepeda blind, thus ending her burgeoning career as an architect. Sadly, her story is just one of many similar tales.

Current tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB are outdated and have not really evolved from the time the test was first developed in 1882. It has a number of limitations, not least of which being that it only detects 45 to 60 per cent of active TB cases and is not able to detect multiple-drug resistant TB. The current TB vaccine was developed in 1921, but is largely ineffective in preventing adult TB, can wear off over time and does not offer adequate protection against TB of the lungs.

TB is one of the most serious public health challenges now affecting our region. It is my hope that Australia's ongoing efforts to provide support to nations in our region suffering through the epidemic will play a significant role in reducing the disease's impact in the years immediately ahead. In conclusion, I would like to extend my gratitude to Mrs Mary Moran and Ms Isabelle Brown of Policy Cures who first came to see me in my capacity as chair of the Parliamentary Liaison Group for HIV/AIDS, Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections. Their passion, their commitment and their conviction are very powerful tools for advocacy around TB issues. I am sure many of us would share their ambition for a modern cure for TB.