Australian Prime Minister visits PNGIMR headquarters | Mr Rudd congratulates PNGIMR for its outstanding work | AusAID Minister Counselor thanks PNGIMR | AusAID officials visit Yagaum | Australian Prime Minister's visit in pictures | EPO project officially closes | Government team visits Yagaum to outline assistance on relocation | This quarter in pictures | RD Canners Assistant Nursing officer recieves microscopy training in Yagaum | Knowledge on malaria exchanged | New staff | Staff gone finish | Ms Gare returns from Switzerland

Click here to download this newsletter in PDF format (240kB)

Mr Rudd congratulates PNG Institute of Medical Research for its outstanding work

By Llane Munau

Australia’s Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd congratulated the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research for the work it has done to make sure the people of Papua New Guinea have decent health outcomes.

Australian Prime Minister Mr Kevin Rudd, giving his talk in the Adolf Saweri Lecture Thearte.

Mr Rudd was very impressed with what IMR was doing and assured us that the Australian government will be long term partners with the Institute in disease prevention, disease diagnosis and the treatment of diseases.

He said this was a very important area of work because if all were serious about realizing the millennium developmental challenges for PNG and other developing countries, better health outcomes was primarily fundamental.

“We wish to partner with the development of PNG in the future in critical areas of relevance to the working lives of the people of this country. One of these areas is health and improving health outcomes and that’s why the work of this important Institute comes into play. Therefore we’re going to improve health outcomes of the people of this province and this country. That’s why we want to partner with you,” he said.

Mr Rudd also pointed out that another area which he believed that Papua New Guinea and Australia would partner in the future was on how they can enhance the cooperation on HIV/AIDS.

He said it is one of three areas, which are focused on by IMR and the health authorities in PNG and Australia’s cooperation extends across all three categories.

“Therefore from us, you will see continued commitment but beyond that we look forward to unfolding and deepening our partnership with the critical work of this Institute,” said Mr Rudd.

Mr Rudd also made mention of his two colleagues who accompanied him on his visit, Mr Bob McMullen, the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Internal Development Assistance and Mr Duncan Kerr the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the Pacific Island Affairs. He told those present that the two men would be regular visitors to PNG.

“Mr McMullen and Mr Kerr will be regular visitors to this country as we develop our new development assistance so that the development of PNG will be a framework of the Pacific development partnership across the area,” he said.