Standing with PNG: What 30 years of partnership has made possible

In 2025, Papua New Guinea marked 50 years of independence, a milestone that invited reflection on what long-term partnership has made possible, and the role you’ve played in supporting a proud nation to strengthen health and wellbeing on its own terms.

Throughout 2025, Papua New Guinea marked 50 years of independence with an outpouring of national pride. Celebrations large and small were a joy to behold – and an invitation to reflect on five decades of sustained progress.

For Burnet, that reflection draws on more than 30 years of collaboration with PNG communities, government agencies and health services. Today, the work is powered by more than 135 local staff, with clinicians, researchers, project officers and community educators working together to build expertise and strengthen systems from within.

This vibrant nation is deeply loved by the team, and by the many Burnet staff and supporters who have lived, worked and walked alongside communities there over the years. Together, we can be proud of the contribution our long-standing partnership has made to the health and wellbeing of communities across the country.

“PNG is a very special place – special in every positive sense, but also in terms of its needs,” says Burnet’s Director and CEO, Professor Brendan Crabb AC. “Working in PNG is fundamental to Burnet’s purpose. There’s probably no greater Australian and regional endeavour than supporting the people and communities of PNG to achieve health equity.”

Across more than three decades, Burnet’s work has focused on health challenges that have historically limited the ability of communities to thrive – including tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and the health of mothers and babies. Working closely with local people, in line with their priorities, has always been central to this approach.

In the mid-2000s, as PNG faced a rapidly intensifying HIV crisis, Burnet was part of an Australian-funded bilateral response, ensuring that young people had a say in how the program was rolled out.

A decade later, as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis emerged as a critical threat, Burnet worked with partners in places like Daru to test new ideas and technologies, introducing peer counselling grounded in empathy and encouragement, paired with breakthrough innovations including mobile X-rays, AI-assisted diagnosis and shorter, more effective treatments. These advances have shifted the outlook from managing tuberculosis to the real prospect of eliminating PNG’s deadliest infectious disease.

That same partnership-driven approach underpins Burnet’s work in maternal and child health through the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies program. When early research revealed childhood stunting as a major issue, the evidence was shared with local stakeholders who then led the design of solutions that communities wanted – and could lead themselves.

Burnet remains committed to PNG for the years ahead, but the nature of that relationship is evolving as local leadership and expertise continue to grow.

Thanks to your generosity, this long-term, respectful partnership has helped PNG reach a point where progress is real, capacity is strong and the foundations for future wellbeing are firmly in place.

In Papua New Guinea, senior health leadership roles were once held mostly by men – reflecting the times and opportunities then available.

Today, Burnet is proud to support a growing generation of women leaders across the health sector.

Together, we’re building a more balanced and inclusive workforce – where everyone’s strengths can thrive.