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Monday, 19 March 2012
Page: 3449

World Tuberculosis Day

Debate resumed on motion by Mr Danby:

That this House:

(1) recognises that 24 March is World Tuberculosis Day, in observance of a preventable and treatable disease that still claims the lives of up to 1.5 million people every year, mostly in developing countries, and that:

(a) overall, one third of the world's population is currently infected with the Tuberculosis bacillus;

(b) the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the largest number of new Tuberculosis cases in 2008 occurred in the South-East Asia Region, which accounted for 35 per cent of incident cases globally; and

(c) the number of new cases of Tuberculosis arising each year is still increasing in Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia;

(2) acknowledges that Tuberculosis is responsible for one in four AIDS related deaths, making it the leading killer of people living with HIV and that:

(a) less than seven per cent of people living with HIV are screened for Tuberculosis;

(b) people living with both HIV and Tuberculosis infection are much more likely to develop Tuberculosis; and

(c) the WHO estimates that by scaling up services and providing integrated HIV and Tuberculosis care, it is possible to save the lives of up to one million people living with HIV by 2015;

(3) notes that:

(a) currently more than two thirds of international financing for Tuberculosis services is provided by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;

(b) the Global Fund is a key international body which provides critical basic services to support many developing countries in the fight against Tuberculosis; and

(c) Australia strongly supports the Global Fund; and

(4) encourages Australia to continue to work bilaterally and with other international donors to address Tuberculosis, including through the Global Fund.