Tess Keam
Social Worker
Working groups

Background
Tess has a varied career in social justice campaigning, education support and community development in an Aboriginal community, and support for families at risk of entering into the child protection system.
Qualifications
- 2016 Masters of Social Work (Professional Qualifying), James Cook University
- 2005 Bachelor of Arts (International Studies), RMIT University
Positions
- 2016-present: Social Worker, Burnet Institute, Daru, PNG
- 2015: Engagement and Referral Practitioner, Act for Kids
- 2011-2015: Admin Co-ordinator and Education Support, Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy
- 2008-2011: Social Justice Officer, Uniting Church Vic/Tas Synod
- 2006-2008: Nutrition Co-ordinator and Teacher Aide, Aurukun State School
Burnet publications
View 3 moreThe role and value of counsellors in the treatment journeys of people with tuberculosis and their families: Qualitative insights from the South Fly District of Papua New Guinea
PLOS Global Public Health
Paula Jops et al
Continuous quality improvement in a community-wide TB screening and prevention programme in Papua New Guinea
Public Health Action
Naomi Pank et al
Contact screening and management in a high-transmission MDR-TB setting in Papua New Guinea: Progress, challenges and future directions
Frontiers in Tropical Diseases
S. S. Majumdar et al
Current projects

Systematic Community-Wide Engagement and Elimination Project for Tuberculosis (SWEEP-TB) in Daru, Western Province, Papua New Guinea
This community-centred public health project will screen all residents of Daru, Papua New Guinea to detect, treat and prevent tuberculosis.
ESCAPE-TB: enhanced screening and preventive therapy for tuberculosis in Daru, Papua New Guinea
Burnet Institute was awarded pilot project funding in 2017 by HOT NORTH for a project under the research theme of antimicrobial resistance.

RID-TB: Reducing the Impact of Drug-Resistant TB in Western Province, Papua New Guinea
We're a partner in a multi-stakeholder response to the major tuberculosis epidemic in Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
Past projects

Drug-resistant tuberculosis patient education and counselling
We help to reduce the impact of drug-resistant tuberculosis through patient-centred education and counselling.

PRIME-TB: Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Indonesia for the Micro Elimination of TB
The program operates across Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to progress elimination of tuberculosis in the region.