April - June 2008

PNGIMR receives approx K8 million research grant from AusAID

Papua New Guinea’s premier medical research institute, the PNG Institute of Medical Research, has been awarded a research grant of AUD$2, 988 891 (approx K8 000 000) by AusAID to undertake a research component of the ‘PNG Australia Sexual Health Improvement Program (PASHIP).’

PASHIP is an initiative of the Papua New Guinea and Australian Governments and is aimed at reducing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) as a strategy to control the spread of HIV in PNG.

The project will run for five years, to study the impact of intervention projects on the prevalence of STI and HIV in selected sites.

PNGIMR was selected by AusAID as a research partner to carry out the PASHIP intervention projects along side five international NGOs in the country who will carry out Sexual Health Improvement Programs.

The research data collected by PNGIMR during the life of the projects will be used for projects improvements for the NGOs, and for policy planning at the national level.

The research project is aimed at collecting biological and behavioral information to determine changes in prevalence of STIs among the target population.

The baseline research to collect the benchmark behavioral and biological data in the NGO project sites will begin in May.

PNGIMR’s Director, Professor Peter Siba, thanked AusAID for their commitment and support in tackling HIV/AIDS and STIs in PNG and pointed out that PNGIMR is currently engaged in many HIV/AIDS and STI biological and behavioral research programs.

The funding agreement was signed on the 16th of April by AusAIDs Minister Councilor in PNG, Ms Margaret Thomas and Professor Peter Siba.

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