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Evaluating a highly sensitive rapid malaria diagnostic in PNG

Past project

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

Professor Leanne Robinson

Program Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Senior Principal Research Fellow, Group Leader, Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health
leanne.robinson@burnet.edu.au
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Project team

Professor James Beeson

Professor James Beeson

Deputy Director, Research Strategy; Head, Malaria Immunity and Vaccines Group; Adjunct Professor, Monash University
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Professor Freya J.I. Fowkes

Professor Freya J.I. Fowkes

Deputy Program Director, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health; Head, Malaria and Infectious Disease Epidemiology
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Dr Chris Morgan

Dr Chris Morgan

Honorary Senior Principal Research Fellow
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Professor Leanne Robinson

Professor Leanne Robinson

Program Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Senior Principal Research Fellow, Group Leader, Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health
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Dr Michelle Scoullar

Dr Michelle Scoullar

Senior Research Fellow - Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. Paediatrician.
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