Dr Philipp du Cros, Co-Head of the Tuberculosis Elimination and Implementation Science working group.
Burnet Institute research into the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and continuing high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in Papua New Guinea (PNG) will benefit from new funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Dr Philipp du Cros, co-head of Burnet’s Tuberculosis Elimination and Implementation Science working group, and Professor William Pomat, firector of the PNG Institute of Medical Research, will lead a study across 2 provinces in PNG to assess whether integrating care for diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease into HIV and tuberculosis programs improves overall care.
This undertaking will build capacity for NCD care and research in PNG while also assessing whether the intervention provides value for money.
Current screening for co-occurrent conditions is low, and treatment adherence rates when started on treatment are sub-optimal.
“Findings from our study will generate evidence of what works and does not work in integrating NCD care into HIV and TB clinics to support national policy development,” Dr du Cros said.
“We will provide cost-effectiveness modelling allowing comparison of the projected costs and impact of the model of care and its components, and support capacity development for future scale up.”
Funding for this and three other Australian research projects was provided through the NHMRC’s collaboration with the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD).
This grant opportunity funds implementation research that will generate evidence about when, for who and under what circumstances, patient-centred approaches can improve integrated care for patients with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) including non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
“NHMRC’s collaboration with GACD helps us to support joint funding calls and research capacity building activities that address the global impact of chronic non-communicable diseases,” said NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh.
“Congratulations to those receiving funding under today’s announcement — this research is a critical step towards improving the management of multiple long-term health conditions.”
Find out more about NHMRC’s latest funding announcements.