Australia, China and PNG to tackle malaria

Australia and China are working together in an on-the-ground health project in Papua New Guinea to tackle Malaria.

The innovative cooperation project brings together the Governments of Australia, China and Papua New Guinea to tackle the deadly epidemic that has plagued PNG for years.

This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Development Cooperation between Australia and China in 2013 to enable practical collaboration on development issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nearly 95 per cent of the PNG population live in areas of high risk for malaria. This often affects the most vulnerable and represents a major health and economic burden which profoundly impacts on the country’s development.

The Australian aid program will contribute $4 million over three years, while China will provide technical expertise as well as an in-kind contribution over three years to fund this ground-breaking project.

The project complements the Australian aid program’s focus on strengthening PNG’s health systems by improving the capacity of key PNG medical institutions to correctly diagnose and treat malaria.