WHO CC involvement: Professor Caroline Homer
Professor Caroline Homer is part of a team which has been awarded a NHMRC Project Grant to undertake a study in PNG titled 'Point-of-care diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes in resource-limited, high-burden settings'. The study is led by Dr Andrew Vallely from the Kirby Institute (UNSW) and the PNG Institute for Medical Research and includes researchers from The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health.
This will be the first effectiveness trial of novel, newly-available, easy to use, and highly accurate point-of-care (POC) assays for STIs. The outcomes of the study will lead to information for trained health staff to make correct diagnoses and provide curative treatment during routine antenatal visits.