Evaluating a highly sensitive rapid malaria diagnostic in PNG
This project is a sub-study of the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program. It focuses on the HS-RDT MiP: Clinical Performance of the Histidine Rich Protein 2 (HRP2) Highly Sensitive Rapid Diagnostic Test (HS-RDT) for Malaria Diagnosis in Pregnant Women in Papua New Guinea.
Objective
The project will compare the performance of novel high sensitivity Plasmodium falciparum rapid diagnostic tests with conventional malaria rapid diagnostic tests in pregnant women in Papua New Guinea.
Timeline
October 2017–June 2019.
Approach
Malaria during pregnancy remains an important public health issue in countries such as Papua New Guinea (PNG). Most cases of malaria in pregnant women do not cause symptoms (sub-clinical) but can contribute to poor outcomes for the mother and baby, such as anaemia, still-birth and low birth weight.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has supported the development of a new high sensitivity rapid diagnostic tests (HS-RDT) for Plasmodium falciparum infection and this new HS-RDT could be a promising diagnostic and screening test for subclinical malaria during pregnancy.
We are undertaking a cross-sectional survey of 940 pregnant women attending antenatal care to compare the performance of the HS-RDT with that of conventional RDT, light microscopy, LAMP and qPCR for the detection of P. falciparum infection during pregnancy.
This study is conducted in partnership with PNG Institute of Medical Research, East New Britain Provincial Government, National Department of Health and Kirby Institute. The study is sponsored by the Foundation for Innovative and Novel Diagnostics (FIND).
The objective of this study is to provide evidence towards improved detection and therefore treatment of malaria in pregnant women in PNG.
Partners
Funding partners
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND)
Collaborators
- PNG Institute of Medical Research: Dr Moses Laman, Prof William Pomat, Dr Livingstone Tavul, Ms Benishar Kombut, Ms Elma Nate, Mrs Lina Lorry, Mr Desmond Sui
- East New Britain Provincial Government: Mr Paschalis Kinakava, Mr Nicolas Larme, Mr Ben Mode
- PNG National Department of Health: Mr Leo Makita
- Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia; Prof. Andrew Vallely, Dr Michael Riddell, Dr Lisa Vallely
- FIND: Dr. Xavier Ding, Ewurama Owusu, Sandra Incardona
Project contacts
Professor Leanne Robinson
Program Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Senior Principal Research Fellow, Group Leader, Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health
Project team
Professor James Beeson
Deputy Director, Research Strategy; Head, Malaria Immunity and Vaccines Group; Adjunct Professor, Monash University
Professor Freya J.I. Fowkes
Deputy Program Director, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health; Head, Malaria and Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Dr Chris Morgan
Honorary Senior Principal Research Fellow
Professor Leanne Robinson
Program Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Senior Principal Research Fellow, Group Leader, Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health
