June 24, 2025
Members of the Australian Centre of Research in Malaria Elimination (ACREME) from the University of Melbourne and the Burnet Institute recently visited the Centre for Malaria, Parasitology and Entomology (CMPE) in Vientiane, Lao PDR to deliver a hands-on laboratory workshop and kick-off a new project to evaluate new rapid diagnostic tests for malaria.
Dr Katherine O’Flaherty, Dr Win Han Oo, and Dr Daniela De Silva of the Malaria and Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Group, led by Professor Freya Fowkes, worked closely with local scientists and technicians to enhance laboratory capacity in molecular diagnostics and surveillance for malaria using quantitative PCR (qPCR).
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er 12-months, CMPE will work closely with ACREME scientists to understand the performance of proposed new rapid diagnostic tests in comparison to existing tests and qPCR. The program aims to generate evidence to support the introduction of improved malaria diagnostics across the Asia-Pacific. This initiative is part of the ADVANCE project — Improving Access to Malaria Diagnosis Tools in the Indo-Pacific — a regional collaboration between PATH, Burnet Institute and WEHI, and supported through the Australian Government.
This collaboration reflects ACREME’s commitment to supporting malaria elimination in the Asia-Pacific region through scientific partnership, knowledge exchange, and technical training
