Tuberculosis expert calls on NZ to ramp up efforts to wipe out the deadly infection

A diseases expert says New Zealand needs to ramp up efforts to meet its promise of wiping out tuberculosis, the world's deadliest infection. 

There are about 300 cases of tuberculosis diagnosed here each year.

But University of Otago tuberculosis specialist Dr Ayesha Verrall warns New Zealand doesn't yet have a plan to eliminate TB by the internationally agreed target of 2035. 

Dr Verrall says it's not too late and is calling on the Government to lead the world in getting rid of the disease. 

"With the right leadership, we could be the first country to eliminate tuberculosis and show the world it is possible," said Dr Verrall, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine.

"We've nearly eliminated tuberculosis in Pakeha or European New Zealanders. This shows that with commitment we could eliminate TB as a threat to everyone else's health."

Of particular concern are the cases of multi-drug resistant TB, she said. It's estimated a case of this costs $400,000 to treat due to the long period of treatment and hospital quarantine required and expensive medicines.

"We need to act now, while the number of multi-drug resistant cases in New Zealand is low. We also now have safer, faster, cheaper options for preventing tuberculosis."

Dr Verrall says Australia has a tuberculosis elimination strategy, but New Zealand only has an elimination strategy for bovine, or cow, TB.

"We need a strategy to drive the development of better tuberculosis screening programmes and the proper resourcing of preventive care.  We currently use old fashioned screening methods, particularly in immigration, that fail to detect all forms of tuberculosis," she said.

Dr Verrall's comments come as a major international conference on tuberculosis begins in Wellington today.

Researchers, clinicians, practitioners and policy makers will gather for the Australasian Tuberculosis Conference, held over two days. 

The conference will hear from a New Zealand family affected by the infectious disease.

Globally, 1.6 million people die from the preventable disease each year.