A tripartite project between Australia, China and Papua New Guinea is expected to address the problem of malaria diagnosis in PNG.
It's the first time Australia and China have worked together on an on-the-ground health project in the region.
Under the collaborative project the Australian aid programme will contribute US$2.8 million over three years, while China will provide technical expertise.
Photo: 123rf
Nearly 95 percent of the PNG population live in areas of high risk for malaria.
The Medical Officer from PNG's Malaria Control Programme, Leonard Nawara, says the project is great news as it will help address a key weakness in the fight against malaria.
"The focus is more on diagnosis before treatment and that has been our major challenge. This one coming in is a boost to us and we receive it with open arms. We have problems with maintaining our EQAs, (External Quality Assurance), and we have problems with our microscopics in the remote settings."