Despite the availability of preventive tuberculosis (TB) medications, TB remains a critical public health challenge in Papua New Guinea. Although PNG is no longer one of the 30 countries with a high TB/HIV burden identified by WHO, a high burden of TB and multidrug-resistant TB remains. In 2011, the Department of Health introduced the National Tuberculosis Management Protocol (NTBMP), including TB infection prevention control (TB IPC) guidelines as a critical strategy to manage the high TB burden in the country. These TB IPC guidelines aim to interrupt the TB transmission cycle in healthc ..read more

As the Biden Administration in the United States prepares to host the seventh triennial replenishment of The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria, the Fund’s leadership and supporters have been making the case to Australian officials and decision makers for a substantially larger contribution from the new Albanese government. Speaking at the Development Policy Centre yesterday, the Executive Director of The Global Fund, Peter Sands, built this case around three key arguments — the Fund’s proven track record, the devastating secondary health impacts of COVID-19, and the ..read more

In Papua New Guinea, the COVID-19 outbreak has spread rapidly to all 22 provinces, affecting many people. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that, as of mid-April 2022, more than 43,600 cases have been confirmed, with 649 deaths. The true burden is likely to be much higher as many cases will have gone unreported. Like many other nations, the emergence of COVID-19 has been a major threat to public health, demanding resources be reallocated from other priority health issues, such as tuberculosis (TB). For example, the PNG government has approved K45.3 million to implement its C ..read more

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency, there is another infectious airborne disease that has at best similar or arguably worse impacts and is inextricably linked to poverty and lack of access to health care – tuberculosis (TB). TB is both preventable and curable, yet in 2019 an estimated 10 million people contracted the disease, and 1.4 million died from TB, continuing its status as the largest cause of death of any infectious disease prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2019, The Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis concluded that the prospect of a TB-free world was a realis ..read more

As the Biden Administration in the United States prepares to host the seventh triennial replenishment of The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria, the Fund’s leadership and supporters have been making the case to Australian officials and decision makers for a substantially larger contribution from the new Albanese government. Speaking at the Development Policy Centre yesterday, the Executive Director of The Global Fund, Peter Sands, built this case around three key arguments — the Fund’s proven track record, the devastating secondary health impacts of COVID-19, and the ..read more

In Papua New Guinea, the COVID-19 outbreak has spread rapidly to all 22 provinces, affecting many people. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that, as of mid-April 2022, more than 43,600 cases have been confirmed, with 649 deaths. The true burden is likely to be much higher as many cases will have gone unreported. Like many other nations, the emergence of COVID-19 has been a major threat to public health, demanding resources be reallocated from other priority health issues, such as tuberculosis (TB). For example, the PNG government has approved K45.3 million to implement its C ..read more

World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day was marked on 30 January. Each year on this day, global health advocates highlight the impact of such diseases as well as the promising advances made against them. This year, we have a new backdrop. Collectively, we have a new understanding of what it means to live at risk of infectious diseases and of the interconnected nature of life on our planet. We’ve seen the devastating impact of COVID-19, and we’ve also seen that when the world unites to combat a pandemic threat, new tools to address it can be developed quickly. While the devastation from COVI ..read more

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency, there is another infectious airborne disease that has at best similar or arguably worse impacts and is inextricably linked to poverty and lack of access to health care – tuberculosis (TB). TB is both preventable and curable, yet in 2019 an estimated 10 million people contracted the disease, and 1.4 million died from TB, continuing its status as the largest cause of death of any infectious disease prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2019, The Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis concluded that the prospect of a TB-free world was a realis ..read more

Today and tomorrow (October 9th and 10th) Lyon in France will play host to the Global Fund Sixth Replenishment Conference, which will raise funds for the period 2020 to 2022. It could be a very awkward time for Australia. The Global Fund provides resources to poor countries to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Typically, Australia has been a strong supporter. The causes the Global Fund champions draw support from a broad cross-section of both sides of the political establishment. The Fund is seeking an increase in commitments from $12 billion for the last three year period to $14 billion ..read more

Tuberculosis is such an old disease, such a normal part of the landscape in many countries, that many governments fail to recognise the extent to which it is a major driver of poverty, with a devastating impact on individuals, families, communities, and the country. In countries with weak health systems, the dangerous symbiotic relationship is even more obvious. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of those countries where neglect of the disease through the years has caused the number of cases to spiral exponentially and allowed new drug-resistant strains to develop, resulting in many communities bei ..read more