AFTER eight years of campaigning to strengthen the Far North's tropical health defences, the head of medicine at James Cook University is buoyed by a $42 million LNP pledge to expand our university.

Prof Ian Wronski, pro-vice chancellor of medicine, health and molecular sciences at JCU, said LNP leader Campbell Newman’s proposal to fund the research institute over four years in conjunction with the university was welcome news.

"This is the first time at a state level that anyone has built a policy that takes this on board," he said, adding the Federal Coalition had pledged $40 million to establish the institute before they were defeated at the 2010 election.

Mr Newman’s proposal would increase laboratory facilities in Cairns, Townsville and Horn Island in the Torres Strait for research into diseases such as dengue, tuberculosis and the hendra virus. Prof Wronski said the institute was vital because Australia was decades behind in its response to the threat of tropical diseases.

"We’re at quite a critical stage. Bit by bit, as we’ve seen with dengue, they are establishing themselves around us," he said. "We think it will add very significant capacity in north Queensland to significantly improve on the study of tropical diseases and their spread."

If elected, Mr Newman said Cairns would play a vital role in preventing and decreasing the transmission of infectious diseases from the Asia-Pacific region into Queensland.

"We need to deal with emerging infectious diseases before they become established as public health emergencies. This is not only about health but protecting our economy in sectors like agriculture," he said.

"Existing and newly emerging pathogens, such as dengue fever, tuberculosis, rabies and the hendra virus, present a health security risk to Queenslanders, particularly those living in or visiting the tropic north."

NEW CAIRNS.COM.AU COMMENT POLICY
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Comments submitted without a full name and suburb/location will not be considered for publication. Please read our full comment policy and publication guidelines.

Share this article