Street vendors in Papua New Guinea. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
A Catholic health worker in Papua New Guinea says the fight against tuberculosis in Western Province urgently needs more resources.
Western is one of three PNG provinces identified as needing urgent health efforts to help address the spread of tuberculosis.
PNG this week secured an 18 million US dollar grant from the Global Fund to be implemented by World Vision, aimed at reducing tuberculosis in PNG.
However Western Province is excluded from the grant because Australia's government oversees the funding of the remote province's TB programme .
Sister Anna Sanginawa says the sporadic funding they receive is usually not enough to allow them to venture to many remote parts of the province to treat the TB-affected.
"The problem is money. If there is money, I think they will do, but we just.. we have to do the work for our people, even the little money we do to our best to help."
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and its working group on drug-resistant TB management has reportedly accelerated its response to the spiralling situation in Western province's capital Daru where health workers are now infected with drug-resistant TB.
