Australia’s investment in PATH is helping to advance diagnostic tools for malaria and neglected tropical diseases through research, development, and clinical evaluation. This investment represents a product development partnership between PATH, Burnet Institute and WEHI. This work supports Australian manufacturers to generate tools needed for the availability of novel malaria rapid diagnostic tests, and assays for malaria relapse risk assessment and treatment. Clinical evaluations will test the performance and usability of malaria diagnostic tools in Laos, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The partnership is focusing on ensuring availability and sustainable access of these tools through health economic assessments, advocacy, regional stakeholder engagement and the development of financing models for the products. This work is expected to provide sustainable access to diagnostic tools for optimal malaria treatment options across genders and populations at risk of exclusion. The partnership’s work to accelerate malaria and neglected tropical disease elimination is in accordance with – and to the benefit of – national and regional aspirations in the Indo-Pacific.
