Control Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In The Pacific: Integration Of Programs To Increase Their Impact
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,499,801.00
Summary
Our goal is to improve programs to control neglected tropical diseases, diseases of poverty common in Australia's neighbours: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Our partners are supporting the Ministries of Health in these countries to implement integrated programs to better control these diseases. Our multidisciplinary research will use improved diagnostics, spatial mapping, health systems, social science and health economics to evaluate this integrated approach to disease control.
National Prisons Hepatitis C Education: Improving Health Literacy To Enhance Treatment Uptake
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,158,722.00
Summary
This Partnership Project will evaluate the National Prisons Hepatitis Education Program, which aims to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of healthcare providers, correctional officers, and prisoners regarding hepatitis C (HCV) and its treatment. This initiative is a key element of the national approach to achieve the World Health Organisation goal of elimination of HCV as an ongoing public health concern by 2030.
Buruli ulcer (BU) is a destructive skin and soft tissue infection that can cause permanent deformity. Australian native possums carry in their guts the bacteria that causes BU and mosquitoes spread BU to people from areas contaminated by possum faeces. A targeted intervention based on screening possum faeces followed by control of mosquitoes in areas where possums and mosquitoes are shown to carry the bacteria will be trialed here, giving public health officials a means to stop this disease.