AUSTRALIA INVESTS IN NEW TB DRUGS BENEFITING PNG

On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day held on Tuesday March 24th, Australia highlighted the impact of its long‑term investment in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), as new, life‑saving treatments for drug‑resistant TB are now being delivered in Papua New Guinea.

With TB remaining a persistent challenge in the region, including in Papua New Guinea, Australia has made sustained investments to change the way drug‑resistant TB is treated.

Australia has invested K51million (AUD 17 million) to help make research into new TB drugs commercially viable.

This investment has led to the development of new treatments that are more effective, require shorter treatment periods, and have fewer side effects.

That investment is now delivering real impact in Papua New Guinea.

New all‑oral BPaLM treatment for drug‑resistant TB is being offered in Port Moresby and Daru, Western province.

These game‑changing medicines have reduced treatment times by two‑thirds and helped increase TB treatment success rates in PNG from 71 per cent in 2020 to 88 per cent in 2025.

Previously, people with drug‑resistant TB were required to take more than 20 tablets per day for over 18 months, alongside regular injections.

Under the new regimen, patients take just five tablets per day for six months. These treatments have a cure rate of more than 90 per cent.

In addition to funding research and development, Australian technical partners – including the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Burnet Institute – worked closely with PNG counterparts to ensure the rapid registration of these medicines.

Australia has also used its position on the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to priorities access to these drugs across the region, including PNG.

Marking World TB Day, the transition of these treatments from research to reality highlights the value of sustained investment, scientific collaboration and strong partnerships.

Australia has expressed its continued support towards innovation that saves lives, working alongside PNG to strengthen TB care, improve treatment outcomes, and protect communities.

Together, we can end TB.