Australia joins partners to acknowledge World Malaria Day

Yesterday staff of the National Department of Health, together with officials from the Chinese Embassy and Australian High Commission, joined with other development partners and members of the public to acknowledge World Malaria Day at Tokarara Clinic.

The Chinese and Australian governments, together with the National Department of Health, are supporting PNG’s efforts to reduce malaria in PNG through the Australia-China-PNG Pilot Cooperation on Malaria Control Project.  The K8 million, three-year project harnesses the strengths of each country to improve malaria diagnosis and research in PNG. Through the project, Australian and Chinese scientists and researchers are working with PNG’s Central Public Health Laboratory and PNG Institute of Medical Research so that suspected malaria cases around the country are able to receive testing and treatment in line with national protocols.

Mr Pascoe Kase, Secretary of the National Department of Health, remarked that it was an exciting time for PNG to be working with Australian and Chinese friends as PNG looks to “end malaria for good” and consolidate the gains made through the national malaria strategy in recent years. Mr Yumeng Chu, Attache at the Chinese Embassy, and Mr Andrew Dollimore, First Secretary for Health, Australian High Commission, commended the staff from the National Department of Health and NCD Health Services for the awareness materials and activities being conducted at the Tokarara Health Clinic. They noted that “World Malaria Day is a great opportunity to both educate the general public about how to ‘test, treat and track’ malaria, as well as showcasing the impact of PNG’s National Malaria Control Program in reducing malaria transmission around the country.”