Cross-border tuberculosis: opportunities, challenges and change

Foster, J'Belle; McBryde, Emma S.; Taune, M.; Peniyamina, Dunstan

doi:10.5588/ijtld.18.0275

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Poverty and minimal preventative health activity in rural PNG leads to high rates of illness in residents of the Treaty villages. Travelling to Daru General Hospital for PNG Treaty villagers experiencing a health crisis or medical emergency can be prohibitive in terms of risk to life, personal safety, and personal costs [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Consideration of Tuberculosis Management of Papua New Guinea Nationals and Cross-Border Health Issues in the Remote Torres Strait Islands, Australia

et al. 2022

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The international border between Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) serves as a gateway for the delivery of primary and tertiary healthcare for PNG patients presenting to Australian health facilities with presumptive tuberculosis (TB). An audit of all PNG nationals with presumptive TB who presented to clinics in the Torres Strait between 2016 and 2019 was conducted to evaluate outcomes for PNG patients and to consider the consistency and equity of decision-making regarding aeromedical evacuation. We also reviewed the current aeromedical retrieval policy and the outcomes of patients referred back to Daru General Hospital in PNG. During the study period, 213 PNG nationals presented with presumptive TB to primary health centres (PHC) in the Torres Strait. In total, 44 (21%) patients were medically evacuated to Australian hospitals; 26 met the evacuation criteria of whom 3 died, and 18 did not meet the criteria of whom 1 died. A further 22 patients who met the medical evacuation criteria into Australia were referred to Daru General Hospital of whom 2 died and 10 were lost to follow-up. The cross-border movement of people from PNG into Australia is associated with an emergent duty of care. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of patient outcomes are necessary for transparency and justice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Consideration of Tuberculosis Management of Papua New Guinea Nationals and Cross-Border Health Issues in the Remote Torres Strait Islands, Australia

et al. 2022

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“…Risk also increases for migrant AYA who have longer transit times from their country of origin and who spend time in informal settlements (e.g., camps, detention centers), which may act as bottlenecks that support TB transmission [32,[34][35][36][37][38][39]. AYA living in cross-border regions, such as Papua New Guinea and the United States-Mexico border, experience additional systems challenges while navigating semipermeable borders that can prevent equitable access to TB care and compound their risk [40][41][42]. With numerous barriers to TB care, migrant AYA also experience higher rates of LTFU and other unfavorable outcomes than resident AYA [34,37,40].…”

Section: Migrant Ayamentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuberculosis in Adolescents and Young Adults: Emerging Data on TB Transmission and Prevention among Vulnerable Young People

2021

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Adolescents and young adults (AYA, ages 10–24 years) comprise a uniquely important but understudied population in global efforts to end tuberculosis (TB), the leading infectious cause of death by a single agent worldwide prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While TB prevention and care strategies often overlook AYA by grouping them with either children or adults, AYA have particular physiologic, developmental, and social characteristics that require dedicated approaches. This review describes current evidence on the prevention and control of TB among AYA, including approaches to TB screening, dynamics of TB transmission among AYA, and management challenges within the context of unique developmental needs. Challenges are considered for vulnerable groups of AYA such as migrants and refugees; AYA experiencing homelessness, incarceration, or substance use; and AYA living with HIV. We outline areas for needed research and implementation strategies to address TB among AYA globally.

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“…Prior to international border closures in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic [4], the Torres Strait Treaty allowed residents of 13 Treaty villages in the Western Province of PNG and 14 communities of the Torres Strait Islands in Australia to cross the international border for traditional purposes without health checks, visas or passports [5] (Figure 1). This freedom of movement coupled with the conservative TB incidence rate of 674 cases per 100,000 population in the Western Province of PNG [6], places the Indigenous population of the Torres Strait Islands of Queensland, Australia particularly vulnerable to TB transmission [7]. PNG Treaty villages are among the poorest and most remote in PNG and lack access to clean running water and electricity [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cost of tuberculosis-related aeromedical retrievals in the Torres Strait, Australia

Foster

Judge

Méndez

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Tuberculosis (TB) remains a disease of public health significance at the Australia / Papua New Guinea (PNG) international border. In the remote Torres Strait Islands, aeromedical evacuation is a necessary but costly component of TB management and patients with critical care needs require support to prevent onward TB transmission. A detailed costing of an exemplar TB patient from PNG who presented to a Queensland Health facility in the Torres Strait and required urgent aeromedical evacuation was performed. Data were drawn from patient charts, financial and clinical information systems used within Queensland Health and the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service. The total cost of aeromedical evacuation was AUD 124,280; 54% of the cost was attributed to travel. Between 2016 and 2019, 19 patients diagnosed with TB were medically evacuated from an outer Torres Strait Island with a median length of hospital stay of 57 days. Aeromedical evacuation and medical management costs require adequate budget allocation.

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Cross-border tuberculosis: opportunities, challenges and change

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Critical Consideration of Tuberculosis Management of Papua New Guinea Nationals and Cross-Border Health Issues in the Remote Torres Strait Islands, Australia

Critical Consideration of Tuberculosis Management of Papua New Guinea Nationals and Cross-Border Health Issues in the Remote Torres Strait Islands, Australia

Tuberculosis in Adolescents and Young Adults: Emerging Data on TB Transmission and Prevention among Vulnerable Young People

Cost of tuberculosis-related aeromedical retrievals in the Torres Strait, Australia

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