Monday’s Canberra Times – http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-letters/make-all-abusers-pay-20150329-1maj8f.html
Disease aid vital

Warren Entsch’s opinion piece on tuberculosis (“Global response needed to rein in forgotten disease”, Times2, March 26, p5) hit the nail on the head.

I met a tuberculosis survivor last week named Louie Zepeda, from the Philippines. She was vaccinated against TB as a child, but the effects wore off after a few years. It took two weeks to be diagnosed when she contacted TB at age 24, and in that time the TB made it into her brain.

The two years of gruelling treatment left her blind. I’m proud that our aid program isn’t just about sending supplies when a disaster strikes, it’s also about investing in medical research to develop better diagnostics, vaccines and treatment for diseases like TB that are right on our doorstep and leave millions dead or disabled each year.

I am delighted that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has pledged $30million towards further research to combat TB and malaria. I hope Treasurer Joe Hockey can see the value of Australian aid and resists the temptation to take to it with a razor in the May budget.

Gina Olivieri, Kingston Beach, Tasmania

Today’s Canberra Times – http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-letters/more-than–a-day-off-20150330-1mb4h5.html
Aid’s losers and winners
Thanks Peter Graves (Letters, March 27) for shining a light on our reduced aid to Afghanistan. In contrast, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced on March 24 that $30million has been allocated towards research to improve the treatment and diagnostic testing of tuberculosis and malaria.

TB is a disease that kills 1.5 million people a year and half of about nine million new cases each year, happen in the Indo-Pacific region.
Ms Bishop’s concern is obvious: “Drug-resistant TB and malaria pose a threat to health security in our region and carry a high burden for our Asia-Pacific neighbours.”

Let’s hope that she can maintain or increase the aid budget come the May federal budget.

Within the current climate of cuts, allocating more to our poorest neighbours would reflect the compassionate attitude of many Australians, whose support to aid organisations doubled last year.
Sue Packham, Woolamai, Vic

Hi Peter, thanks for your feedback. I did read that letter and was gladdened to see that it made the print. We need more of them, to keep having the conversation and to counter the idea that “there are no votes in foreign aid”. Best, Kylie

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-letters/our-afghanistan-aid-makes-a-big-difference-to-peoples-lives-20150326-1m8m23.html

Congratulations to Minister Bishop for – finally – standing up for Australia’s foreign aid. (“Foreign aid pawn in battle of senior ministers”, March 24, p1). After the appalling cuts of $11 billion, she appeared to be missing in action.

Our long-term aid to Afghanistan has also been cut. Reducing Australia’s aid by 10 per cent, from $149 million to $134 million in 2014-15 is not the follow-up commitment needed now our military forces have been withdrawn. In 2013, Afghanistan’s median income per person was US$690 ($880). Australia’s $15 million makes a difference to the average Afghan. For Afghanistan’s civilians, our aid is a hand up, not a hand out. A cliché´ is that “there are no votes in foreign aid”. I believe in foreign aid and I vote. More – please.

Peter Graves, Curtin