The 4th Annual Virtual Symposium was about Empowering Health Through Research.
Through prerecorded and live presentations, the symposium showcased the research activities of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research and its partners, which are creating robust knowledge to inform decisions for better prevention, treatment, and service provision.
The symposium was opened by two medical leaders in PNG: Prof Nakapi Tefaurani and Prof Sir Isi Kevau. The Keynote Address was given by Prof Caroline Homer.
The program had two scientific sessions, presented as mini-documentaries. The first session is a deep dive into the conduct and importance of clinical trials. PNGIMR has an international reputation for conducting robust clinical trials. This session explains how clinical trials are done, including the close partnerships with health services and communities, the teams of PNGIMR clinical researchers, nurses, community health workers, lab technicians and drivers that make them possible. The session also covers how patient safety is protected by the Institutional Review Board, clinical trial protocols, and external monitoring. International partners and senior researchers reflect on the impact of clinical trials on patient care in PNG and describe the future of clinical trials at the Institute.
The second scientific session described the long-running STRIVE PNG project that aims to strengthen surveillance systems and decision-making for arboviruses. It highlights the benefits of this national project for the Milne Bay Provincial Health Authority.
Also featured is a discussion between Dr Osborne Liko, Secretary of the Department of Health, and PNGIMR’s Prof Moses Laman, Deputy Director of Science and Research on the importance of PNGIMR for the national health system. As in every virtual symposium, we spotlight some of our emerging research leaders who are working on or recently finished their PhDs.
View the entire 4th virtual symposium on YouTube. While you are there, watch five short presentations that detail the methodologies and findings of the clinical studies discussed in the session.
All PNGIMR YouTube content is protected by Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND which allows the non-commercial use of material without adaptation as long as the work is attributed to PNGIMR.
The 4th Virtual Symposium is supported by the Australian Government and the Buttressing Coalition
