World Humanitarian Day: Celebrating Our Quiet Heroes in the Battle Against TB

Papua New Guinea has the highest tuberculosis prevalence in the Pacific Region with an estimated 3,000 people dying each year of the disease. The National Capital District of PNG, where Port Moresby is located, is a TB “hot spot” contributing around 22 per cent of all TB cases despite being home to only five per cent of the country’s population. Drug-resistant TB has also emerged and transmitting in NCD. Due to an extreme shortage of health staff, PNG faces many challenges in treating people diagnosed with TB. With assistance from World Vision PNG under the Global Fund Grant, the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) is working with World Vision Liaison Officers to help people with TB complete their medications. For World Humanitarian Day, World Vision PNG salutes its Liaison Officers like Ronnie Kirokae and Dorothy Derevi for their courage and dedication working as frontline TB workers.