Australia: Fears drug-resistant TB will spread to mainland
Specialists fear the closure of health clinics in the Torres Strait this week could see a dangerous new drug-resistant form of tuberculosis emerge on mainland Australia.
For the past decade, Queensland doctors have been flying to Australia's northernmost islands to treat PNG nationals in order to stop the spread of a highly infectious drug-resistant form of tuberculosis.
But the Queensland and federal governments have controversially decided to close the clinics, leaving the responsibility for controlling the potential public health disaster to Papua New Guinea.
Queensland Health doctors first set up outreach chest clinics 10 years ago on Boigu Island, a short boat trip away from impoverished PNG villages with little or no access to medical services.
The nearest hospital on the PNG side of the border was on Daru Island, hours away by boat and hopelessly under-resourced.
Dr Steven Vincent is about to depart on his last journey to the outermost islands of the Torres Strait to hold tuberculosis clinics for Papua New Guineans.
He says it is not only PNG nationals who are threatened by this disease.
Dr Vincent says he is "pretty certain" that the drug-resistant strain has entered the Australian population.
"We haven't confirmed any cases, but I suspect that there probably are patients up there who have contracted the disease, are not unwell and it'll probably declare itself in the next couple of years or so," he said.
"We are going to keep a very close watch on that."
Managing tuberculosis is both complex and time-consuming.
Jubi Mapi is a PNG fisherman who was evacuated from the outer Torres Strait to Cairns nearly 12 months ago.
Mr Mapi has to take up to 16 pills a day to keep his drug-resistant tuberculosis under control and he is now expected to make a full recovery.
"When I arrived here I was so sick and I had no build, I was just like, you know, a stick or something when I came in here," he said.
An aid package has been put together to help PNG manage its tuberculosis problem which the World Health Organisation has described as a crisis.
Last month, celebrations were held on Daru Island to mark the handing over of an ambulance boat and specialist tuberculosis equipment for the Daru hospital as part of an $8 million AusAID program.
PNG physician Rendi Moke says the country has the capacity to manage the tuberculosis cases by themselves.
"It is a very big step forward and it is a very big bonus for Daru hospital, the people of Western Province, and this will also build the confidence in our health system in the province," he said.
But Dr Vincent is not so sure.
He says although the AusAID program is encouraging, he will be maintaining a watching brief.
"We do have concerns that there's no Plan B - that's our main worry at the moment there," he said.
"We know that if any of those issues fall apart on the PNG side, then the whole TB program once again can fail."
ABC.net.au
