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ARPAN.
ARPAN.

Accelerating research and progress in maternal and newborn health (ARPAN CRE)

This unique, collaborative network improves outcomes for women and newborns by strengthening reproductive, maternal and newborn research across the Asia-Pacific region.

Objectives

Despite many global improvements in health care, maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity rates remain high, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Many countries in Asia and the Pacific region will not reach their 2030 targets for reducing maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths.

ARPAN CRE will address the major gaps across the Asia-Pacific region to improve outcomes for women and newborns. These gaps include: 

  • the lack of a regional approach to monitoring quality of care using harmonised data, especially in the intrapartum and early neonatal period, that can be easily used to drive local improvements in maternal and newborn care service delivery  

  • the need for feasible and context-appropriate interventions to address preventable stillbirth 

  • the need for novel, acceptable and cost-effective models of care that can improve women’s access and use of postpartum contraception 

  • the need to improve critical elements of quality of care, including implementing global recommendations for antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care and ensuring systems and processes for maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response are functional.

ARPAN CRE is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre for Excellence.

Timeline

2024–2028.

Approach

ARPAN CRE builds on more than 20 years of our team’s collective efforts that have generated real improvements in women and newborn health in Asia and the Pacific region and other low and middle-income countries.

The centre brings together researchers, clinicians, policymakers and parent advocates from across the region to identify problems, co-create solutions and strengthen local research and translational capacity.

We will build on our existing strong linkages with key organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, WHO Collaborating Centres in India, Thailand and Australia, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), global professional associations, consumer and advocacy organisations and the NHMRC Stillbirth Centre for Research Excellence.

Together we will address the region’s major maternal and newborn health priorities and help reach SDG targets.

Community impact

This unique collaborative network will improve outcomes by strengthening reproductive, maternal and newborn research and facilitating implementation of guidelines across Asia and the Pacific region. We will create new knowledge, evidence, and partnerships to reduce preventable maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and stillbirth. 

Project outputs

Partners

Funding partners

National Health and Medical Research Council(NHMRC) Centres of Research Excellence

Collaborators

  • Khon Kaen University, Thailand
  • Institute for Medical Research, Papua New Guinea
  • Stillbirth Centre for Research Excellence, Australia
  • Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • World Health Organization
  • United Nations Population Fund, Fiji
  • United Nations Population Fund, Bangkok
  • Modillon Hospital, Papua New Guinea
  • KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, India
  • University of Melbourne, Australia
  • University of Sydney, Australia
  • University of New South Wales, Australia
  • International Stillbirth Alliance
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, India

Project contacts

Professor Caroline Homer AO

Professor Caroline Homer AO

Chief Investigator
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Project team

Professor Caroline Homer AO

Professor Caroline Homer AO

Chief Investigator
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Professor Joshua Vogel

Professor Joshua Vogel

Chief Investigator
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Professor Pisake Lumbiganon

Professor Pisake Lumbiganon

Chief Investigator
Khon Kaen University
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Professor Shivaprasad Goudar

Professor Shivaprasad Goudar

Chief Investigator
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College
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Professor William Pomat

Professor William Pomat

Chief Investigator
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research
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Professor Meghan Bohren

Professor Meghan Bohren

Chief Investigator
Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
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Dr Lisa Vallely

Dr Lisa Vallely

Chief Investigator
The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales
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Professor Kirsten Black

Professor Kirsten Black

Chief Investigator
University of Sydney
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Professor Adrienne Gordon

Professor Adrienne Gordon

Chief Investigator
University of Sydney
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Dr Susannah Leisher

Dr Susannah Leisher

Chief Investigator
Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence
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Dr Nicole Minckas

Dr Nicole Minckas

Chief Investigator
University of Melbourne
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Dr Michelle Scoullar

Dr Michelle Scoullar

Associate Investigator
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Dr Billie Bradford

Dr Billie Bradford

Associate Investigator
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Anayda Portela

Anayda Portela

Associate Investigator
World Health Organization
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Catherine Breen Kamkong

Catherine Breen Kamkong

Associate Investigator
United Nations Population Fund, Cambodia
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Professor Yeshita Pujar

Professor Yeshita Pujar

Associate Investigator
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College
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Professor Manjunath Somannavar

Professor Manjunath Somannavar

Associate Investigator
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College
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Dr John Bolnga

Dr John Bolnga

Associate Investigator
Institute for Medical Research, Papua New Guinea
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Sieyin Phung

Sieyin Phung

Program Manager
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Rodney Stewart

Rodney Stewart

Senior Project Manager
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Dr Fiona Bruinsma

Dr Fiona Bruinsma

Senior Research Fellow
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Dr Sarah Bar-Zeev

Dr Sarah Bar-Zeev

Acting Deputy Discipline Head, International Development; Senior Research Fellow (Midwifery)
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Chanelle Warton

Chanelle Warton

Research Officer
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