The Tropical Disease Research Regional Collaborative Initiative (TDRRCI)

Aims:

Specific malaria aims are to:

  • Strengthen capacity within malaria control programs to apply novel tools for molecular surveillance of drug-resistant malaria
  • Determine models for implementation of new methods for safe and effective radical cure of malaria, to eliminate latent stages and prevent onward transmission.

Specific tuberculosis (TB) aims are to:

  • Develop, in PNG, a TB operational research (OR) agenda and conduct structured OR training for key staff from research and service delivery institutions
  • Strengthen the capacity of TB programs to measure the impact of programmatic interventions using continuous quality improvement process, and evaluate pilot models of care to enable scale-up. 
Summary:

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and malaria pose major threats to health security in the Asia-Pacific region. A consortium led by Menzies School of Health Research has been formed with institutions in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia and the Burnet Institute (Melbourne) to address these challenges. This two-year Australian Government program, the Tropical Disease Research Regional Collaboration Initiative: Responding to Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and Malaria in the Asia-Pacific (TDRRCI) aims to strengthen health systems and research capacity, including high-quality operational research to prevent and contain malaria and TB. 

In the Stronger Health Systems for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and malaria program we will expand our system strengthening activities, and regional collaborations in PNG and Indonesia. We will build upon our existing capacity development, to scale up new health interventions that address health security and achieve policy transfer, driven by systems-oriented implementation research.

Chief investigators:
Contact information:
Project dates:

Commencing November 2016