The head of Papua New Guinea's tuberculosis programme says the country's health system is too weak to seriously tackle the illness.
Dr Jacob Kisomb says major challenges include a lack of resources and funding, low manpower, poor morale and fragmented organisation.
He says facilities are run down with obsolete equipment and there are problems with stigma, poor education and a lack of awareness in communities.
Dr Kisomb says the Health Department has developed a comprehensive US$190 million six-year plan to fully implement TB controls across the country.
But the lack of adequate funding has crippled any meaningful translation of the written statement into achieved results.
The past three years of the plan was mainly funded by the Global Fund.