Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on Australia's partnership with Papua New Guinea, our closest neighbour, in response to the current COVID-19 third wave?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Scarr for his question and, in particular, his interest in this very important area. The COVID-19 situation in Papua New Guinea is very concerning. We're seeing a new surge in cases associated with the delta strain and it is placing significant pressure on the health system. Both the Prime Minister and I have spoken with our Papua New Guinea colleagues to discuss the challenges they're dealing with, including to assure them that Australia is standing by them at this very difficult time.

Since the start of the pandemic, we've been partnering closely with the government of Papua New Guinea on their needs. That includes over two million pieces of PPE; testing equipment and supplies; oxygen concentrators and pressurised air masks; over 100,000 genomic tests, with support from Melbourne's Doherty institute, to identify COVID-19 variants of concern; and support to enable increased provincial health service delivery through church health services. We have now deployed five Australian medical assistance teams, or AUSMATs, to Papua New Guinea to provide critical care planning and clinical care.

We're now providing further assistance as Papua New Guinea responds to this most recent, and concerning, surge in cases. That includes partnering on the reopening of the Nightingale Centre to increase the capacity of Port Moresby General Hospital, and support to provincial health authorities to maintain essential operations. We're supporting Papua New Guinea to vaccinate more frontline health workers, and expanding commercial vaccination hubs, including in major urban centres such as Lae. The Australian Defence Force is providing logistics support and vaccination training to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force—and I acknowledge the exceptional working relationship between the PNGDF and the ADF. Australia will continue to meet Papua New Guinea's vaccine supply needs and support its vaccination rollout program in partnership with the Papua New Guinean government.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scarr, a supplementary question?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on the fabulous work of the Australian Medical Assistance Team members in Papua New Guinea?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Scarr for his supplementary question. It is indeed exceptional work that those teams are doing. A seven-person AUSMAT arrived in Port Moresby last Saturday on a flight that also delivered the oxygen concentrators that I referred to earlier. It's led by one of their most experienced doctors, Dr Mark Little. The team includes a nurse practitioner, a public health specialist and logistics experts. I acknowledge and thank Dr Little and the AUSMATs who have deployed to Papua New Guinea and the Pacific through the COVID-19 pandemic. The team has strong experience partnering with Papua New Guinea's health officials. They will be in PNG for three weeks, working closely with the ministry of health and the important National Control Centre. The team will identify further priorities for assistance, including additional clinical support to manage the surge and medical equipment that can be deployed within the Papua New Guinea health system.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scarr, a second supplementary question?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline Australia's work with Papua New Guinea to support their vaccination program?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Scarr for the question. Last night Australia delivered a further 60,000 vaccine doses to Papua New Guinea. We're committed to working with them to meet the needs of the country. We're partnering with the government, with business and with NGOs to promote the importance of vaccinations and we've launched a campaign with the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches to address hesitancy issues. The ADF is providing logistics support in the Torres Strait border region, where vaccination rates are the highest in Papua New Guinea. An Australian-funded clinic in Port Moresby administered over 13 per cent of the vaccinations nationally. We're supporting pop-up clinics at convenient locations such as shopping centres. Australian experts are working with PNG and the WHO on a plan to expand and accelerate the rollout, prioritising those provinces with the highest numbers of cases.