In collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), researchers at the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney have been awarded AU$1.025 million to trial a new rapid test for gonorrhoea in clinical and community settings in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This easy-to-use test developed by FIND has the potential to deliver an accurate and affordable same-day diagnosis and a treatment plan within in 30 minutes, helping to drive down infection rates in the country.
Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmissible infection that, if left untreated, can cause serious health complications. Rates of the infection remain extremely high in many low- to middle-income countries globally, including PNG, where people are treated based on symptoms without a confirmed diagnosis, known as syndromic management.
The study, jointly led by PNGIMR and the Kirby Institute, and funded by FIND, will evaluate the diagnostic tool that aims to improve the management of gonorrhoea and its associated adverse sexual, reproductive, maternal and neonatal-health outcomes.
“This study builds on more than a decade of collaborative research on sexually transmitted infections in PNG,” says Professor William Pomat, Director of PNGIMR and a lead investigator on the study. “I am delighted we can continue to evaluate new tools to diagnose and treat gonorrhoea. This study will significantly imrpove sexual and reproductive health outcomes among women and men in PNG.”
Working in collaboration with local provincial health authorities, the study will take place in the Western Highlands and Eastern Highlands Provinces in PNG. It will involve women attending antenatal clinics, and men and women seeking care at sexual health services.
Dr Lisa Vallely from the Kirby Institute says “This new test could provide a new easy to use, highly-acceptable and cost-effective approach to point-of-care testing and treatment in PNG and other LMIC, and builds on our earlier findings from the PNG WANTAIM Trial that identified higher rates of preterm birth and low birthweight among babies whose mothers had gonorrhoea during pregnancy.”
Birgitta Gleeson from FIND says "This study in PNG is the next important step in ensuring the test performs well in the contexts for which it was designed. Our hope is to have an affordable, high performing, easy to use test that can have a positive impact on people lives, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to reliable diagnostics is crucial."
The study builds on more than 15 years of collaboration between PNGIMR and the Kirby Institute and includes partners from the National Department of Health in PNG, the University of Queensland and the University of Bern in Switzerland.
Other Kirby Institute investigators are Dr Michaela Riddell, Professor Angela Kelly-Hanku, Associate Professor Handan Wand, Associate Professor Tanya Applegate, Dr Louise Causer, Professor Rebecca Guy, and Professor Andrew Vallely.