Rachael Farquhar
International Research Project Officer, Project Manager
Working groups

Background
Rachael works as an International Health Research Officer and Project Manager in the Vector Borne Disease and Tropic Public Health (VBDTPH) Working Group at Burnet Institute.
Health Systems Research has been a particular area of interest since completing her studies from the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 2015 and Master of Public Health in 2018 and now, throughout her time at Burnet Institute. Previously, Rachael has spent time with the Comprehensive Rural Healthcare Project (CRHP) in Jamkhed, India, conducted a food hygiene scoping review for WaterAid Cambodia and was previously a project officer for the University of Melbourne Health Initiative Material Aids Program.
Since 2018, Rachael has joined the VBDTPH Working Group supporting multiple projects however, primarily the STRIVE PNG project based in Papua New Guinea (PNG). STRIVE PNG has adopted a strong partnership model through a consortium that brings together 12 organisations across PNG and Australia. In collaboration with STRIVE's in-country Project Partnership Manager, Rachael supports the partnership brokering between the consortium organisations, the project management from Melbourne and alongside the PNG based research team supports the health systems strengthening component of STRIVE.
Qualifications
- 2013-2015, Bachelor of Science, University of Melbourne, Australia
- 2018, Introduction to Financial Accounting, The University of Pennsylvania
- 2017-2018, Master of Public Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
- 2019, Good Clinical Practice Training
- 2019, Health Systems Strengthening, University of Melbourne Online Course
Positions
- 2016, Research Assistant, Hospital De Clinicas, Buenos Aires
- 2017, Project Officer, Material Aid Program, University of Melbourne Health Initiative
- 2018, Research Officer, WaterAid Cambodia
Reports + Policy Briefs
2022 (1)
- COVID-19 and its impacts on primary health services and public health infectious disease programs in Papua New Guinea. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Newland J, Neuendorf N, , Vallely L, Mek A, Vengiau G, Farquhar R, Boli-Neo R, Seymour M, Wratten M, Aeno H, Nake Trumb R, Kerry Z, Huang KL, Maalsen A, Homer C, Robinson L, Majumdar S, Vallely A, Laman M, Pomat W, Kelly-Hanku A. WHO Papua New Guinea Commisioned Report. December, 2022.
Reports and other work
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COVID-19 and its impacts on primary health services and public health infectious disease programs in Papua New Guinea. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The global total number of reported cases is 184 million and the grim milestone of four million deaths has been reached. The cumulative number of cases is equivalent to 23.5 per 1,000 population.
COVID-19 and its impacts on primary health services and public health infectious disease programs in Papua New Guinea. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
Burnet publications
View 1 moreBaseline assessment of front-line health system capacity in vector-borne disease surveillance and response in Papua New Guinea
PLOS Global Public Health
Rachael Farquhar et al
Protecting global health partnerships in the era of destructive nationalism
PLOS Global Public Health
Maya Adam et al
The effects of COVID-19 on maternal, newborn and child health services in Papua New Guinea
Global Public Health
Lisa M. Vallely et al
Current projects
View 1 more
STRIVE: stronger surveillance for vector-borne pathogens
Infectious diseases are an increasing global health threat, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
ADVANCE: improving access to malaria diagnosis tools in the Indo-Pacific
We work to increase access to new diagnostic tools for malaria, reduce health inequities and accelerate malaria elimination.

PAVE PNG: partnership for vivax elimination
Despite reducing the overall burden of malaria in Papua New Guinea, the prevalence of P. vivax remains unacceptably high and is a key barrier in elimination.