Swiss TPH and PNGIMR: Strengthening a 30-Year Partnership

Swiss TPH and the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR) have a long and successful history of collaboration, primarily in the field of malaria, with a strong emphasis on capacity building in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

In the last 10 years, 11 PNGIMR staff have undertaken training courses at Swiss TPH and six have graduated with an MSc in Infection Biology or Epidemiology from the University of Basel. At the same time, numerous Swiss TPH staff and students have conducted laboratory and field research at PNGIMR.

New Memorandum of Understanding

On 13 September 2019, Swiss TPH signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PNGIMR to strengthen their partnership. The MoU emphasised the continued commitment of the two institutions under the leadership of Juerg Utzinger and William Pomat, to work in close collaboration in the areas of research, capacity building and institutional development. The signing of the MoU coincided with a visit from the Swiss Ambassador to PNG and the Swiss Ambassador to Australia.

"Witnessing the MoU signing has been a key moment of my visit to Papua New Guinea and certainly reflected the strategic importance of this partnership," said H.E. Mrs. Yasmine Chatila Zwahlen, Swiss Ambassador to PNG. "I am thankful for these fascinating insights into the crucial work on such critical public health issues."

The two institutions aim to expand their joint research portfolio and strengthen the capacity building component by regularly enrolling MSc and PhD students at the University of Basel.

Swiss TPH in Papua New Guinea

In partnership with PNGIMR, Swiss TPH leads the continuous independent evaluation of the PNG National Malaria Control Programme, providing evidence of the impact of large-scale malaria control efforts. In addition, Swiss TPH is involved in research to identify drivers of ongoing malaria transmission and in molecular investigations of the complex local malaria epidemiology.