This project was developed in response to an identified need within the Pacific to increase diagnostic capacity for animal and zoonotic diseases. The establishment of a Pacific Laboratory Network, including reference laboratories in Australia and New Zealand, will ensure regional coordination, consistent diagnostic approaches, and timely support for animal disease investigations.

This project aims to support laboratory placements and leadership within the Southeast Asian and Pacific region with a focus on Vietnam, in particular Regional Animal Health Office 6 (RAHO6) in HCMC and the National Centre for Veterinary Diagnosis in Hanoi.

This project aims to strengthen national field-to-laboratory capacities and strengthen regional networks for viromics-based emerging infectious disease (EID) surveillance at the wildlife interface. 

This project will provide targeted training of laboratory leaders in biorisk management and development of a community of biorisk practitioners in the region.

Australia is supporting the second phase of the Sydney Asia-Pacific Partnership for Health Innovations and Resilient Ecosystems (SAPPHIRE) to expand beyond Fiji, Kiribati and Vietnam and into Cambodia. In partnership with the University of Sydney, SAPPHIRE emphasises community participation, infectious and chronic disease control, health system strengthening, One Health adoption, climate change adaptation, and GEDSI integration for regional health security.

BICOLLAB II is a bilateral laboratory collaboration with Indonesia (laboratory strengthening through twinning) project with the Animal Disease Investigation Centre Wates (DIC Wates), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Indonesia. Phase One was funded through the Health Security Initiative, the predecessor of the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.

We are partnering with CSIRO’s Biomedical Manufacturing team to improve the capacity for Thai state-owned organisations to manufacture essential drugs to improve local and equitable access to medicines. This project will focus on training and development in two areas: 1) Biologic drug development using the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell platform; and 2) Small molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) drug development using continuous flow processing.

Australia is supporting partner countries to build capacity for health systems to anticipate, prevent, detect and control priority disease threats through the Regional Engagement in Surveillance and response to Priority diseases, providing Opportunities for National health system strengthening and Development (RESPOND) partnership with Menzies School of Health Research. 

Australia is strengthening its commitment to the prevention, surveillance and response to infectious diseases across the Indo-Pacific through a strategic partnership with the Doherty Institute. Over the next four years, our partnership will focus on workforce development, policy support, and systems strengthening, and will specifically target laboratory strengthening, genomic surveillance, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and data for decision making.

Australia has been supporting the Burnet Institute, PNG Institute of Medical Research and PNG National Department of Health to implement the Stronger Surveillance for Vector Borne Pathogens (STRIVE) program in Papua New Guinea since 2018 and is committed to the effective delivery of Phase 2.