Portfolio — 20 March 2026

**Polio Outbreak Response: Additional $2 Million for Papua New Guinea**

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Dr Aly, and the Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Mr Conroy, jointly announced an additional $2 million Australian contribution to Papua New Guinea's polio outbreak response, bringing total bilateral support to $7 million [TA-260320-dfat-e60281947e97]. The World Health Organisation will deliver the funding, which targets children under five in high-risk provinces to strengthen disease surveillance and support a revised National Immunisation Strategy addressing persistently low vaccination coverage [TA-260320-dfat-e60281947e97].

The package builds on a $5 million investment in 2025 that supported three million vaccinations in Papua New Guinea [TA-260320-dfat-e60281947e97]. The portfolio frames regional health security and immunisation resilience as core elements of Australia's development partnership with Papua New Guinea, positioning the new contribution as a continuation of established bilateral health cooperation rather than a one-off emergency response [TA-260320-dfat-e60281947e97].

The joint authorship by Dr Aly and Mr Conroy reflects the cross-portfolio character of the announcement, with both ministers sharing credit for a single health security initiative [TA-260320-dfat-e60281947e97]. The decision to channel the funding through the World Health Organisation and to pair immediate outbreak measures with support for a revised National Immunisation Strategy points to an approach that addresses both the current polio threat and the underlying vaccination coverage challenges in Papua New Guinea [TA-260320-dfat-e60281947e97].