Australia’s PNG step-up a priority as China lurks

The health threat posed by the Papua New Guinea COVID-19 outbreak for both the South Pacific and Torres Strait is now at emergency levels, with millions of vulnerable people facing the reality of having limited or no access to care.

Inadequate PNG health services and facilities are not equipped to deal with the aggressive coronavirus spread and any COVID-19 mutations would put the South Pacific region and the effectiveness of our vaccination program at extreme risk.

Given the size and scope of the PNG outbreak, vaccines may arrive too late.

COVID-19 jabs and personal protective equipment are critical, with the high rate of infections among PNG health professionals, but the clear focus for Australian authorities will be mapping out health emergency strategies to combat the immediate threat, including a public awareness campaign and providing ongoing support to control the virus.

Australian officials will be on high alert to stop the virus seeping into the Solomon Islands, which is a short canoe ride from Bougainville.

PNG’s other neighbour, Indonesia, has also struggled to contain COVID-19.

Some may argue the Morrison government should have acted faster but they arrogantly forget PNG is a proud, sovereign nation.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape needed to ask for help. It can’t be provided without permission and access. The death, mourning and burial of PNG’s first prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, has also been a factor in the response.

Banning PNG flights into Australia, ramping up the Australian Border Force presence in the Torres Strait and stockpiling PPE and vaccines are the immediate, frontline steps to protect indigenous Australians in north Queensland and Pacific Islanders.

The logistical task confronting Australian authorities on the ground in Port Moresby will be immense. PNG has more than nine million people spread across the capital, Highlands and islands. Transport, security, testing infrastructure and health equipment, such as ventilators, are major issues not easily overcome.

The combination of PNG’s poor testing regime and soft border control measures allowing foreigners into the nation during the pandemic has created the perfect storm for the COVID-19 spread. Like all developing nations across the globe, the full extent of infections is not clear.

High infection rates among selected cohorts, including pregnant women, health and mining workers, revealed the seriousness of the outbreak and indicated COVID-19 cases were more widespread than thought.

Following the inaugural Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders’ meeting on Saturday, Scott Morrison, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga committed Australia, the US, India and Japan to manufacture and transport vaccines across the Indo-Pacific region.

Australia’s primary and historic responsibility, along with New Zealand, is the South Pacific.

With China flexing its muscle in the region and paying particular attention to PNG, the Prime Minister knows Australia must step up and provide every support requested by Marape.