The federal opposition has called on the government to increase tuberculosis care in Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait Islands following an outbreak of the deadly disease in the region.
Liberal MP Warren Entsch, whose northern Queensland seat takes in the Torres Strait Islands, successfully had his private member's motion on the issue pass the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Mr Entsch demanded the government, through AusAID, immediately provide long-term funding to clinics providing tuberculosis services to PNG nationals and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
His motion also called on the government to formulate a long-term strategy to ensure PNG programs and Torres Strait Islands clinics deliver tuberculosis care.
"This is certainly a matter of life and death to people living in the western provinces of Papua New Guinea and Torres Strait Islander Australians that are living in the islands as very near neighbours to Papua New Guinea," Mr Entsch told parliament.
"Tuberculosis is now endemic in this region and we're seeing a rising death toll as the medications that are being used there are becoming less and less effective because of the inadequate delivery of services due in many cases to a difficulty in access.
"One thing we can't afford to do is to withdraw these services. We need to increase them significantly."
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs.
It is spread from person to person through the air when someone with active TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sings, laughs or sneezes.
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