A response committee has been set up in Papua New Guinea's Madang province to try to tackle an outbreak of whooping cough.
The disease spread from neighboring East Sepik province, where more than 30 people have already died
The Health Advisor for the Madang Provincial Health Services, Markus Kachau, says the situtation in his area is now serious:
"So far we have got 391 cases, so far, and we have about nine deaths reported so far, and at the moment, already we have started our response to the situation here."
Marks Kachau says immunisation levels for his area are below the nation target of 80 to 90 percent.
He says local levels are sitting at about 40 to 50 percent and the disease is taking hold in areas where inoculation levels are lowest.
