close search

Global Impact

Burnet’s commitment to building a better, fairer, healthier world does not stop at our borders — it reaches into under-served communities and resource-poor nations across the globe. As the only Australian medical research institute working as an international non-government organisation (NGO), we are in a unique position to partner with governments, researchers, regional NGOs and affected communities to address local health and development priorities. 

Global Impact

Burnet’s commitment to building a better, fairer, healthier world does not stop at our borders — it reaches into under-served communities and resource-poor nations across the globe. As the only Australian medical research institute working as an international non-government organisation (NGO), we are in a unique position to partner with governments, researchers, regional NGOs and affected communities to address local health and development priorities. 

Our goal is to play our part in ensuring that all people — no matter who they are or where they live — have safe and reliable access to life-changing medical research and health programs.

Advancing Health
Equity

Burnet is focussed on tackling the most critical health problems of resource-poor and under-served communities, even in the most remote and challenging locations. Our approach is always to work collaboratively with local and regional partners, responding to their priorities and within their systems and processes, to help deliver meaningful and sustainable health solutions.

Learn more about how we're advancing health equity

Around the world

Our goal is to play our part in ensuring that all people — no matter who they are or where they live — have safe and reliable access to life-changing medical research and health programs.

10

We’re working on malaria elimination with teams in 10 endemic countries: Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda.

1,200

After Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008, we established a local resource centre that now supports 300-plus+ staff and a network of 1,200 Community Sector Organisations

100

Burnet works closely with governments and communities in Papua New Guinea, with a team of 100-plus researchers and public health professionals supporting projects in 19 provinces

44

Since 2020, we have led 44 projects across diagnostics, vaccines, antivirals, public health, modelling and international development, in support of the global COVID-19 response

35 million

Developed by Burnet and endorsed by WHO, the VISITECT CD4 diagnostic tool is enabling better and more timely care for 35 million HIV-infected people in low-income countries

80%

Burnet provided technical support to local teams in PNG, helping to stabilise the tuberculosis emergency. Treatment success rates increased from 50% in 2013 to over 80% from 2016 onwards.

Partnerships, Community Engagement, Co-Design

We believe in using our skills and expertise to help build a more equitable world, through health. For us, that means engaging with governments, communities and partner organisations on projects that are collaborative and locally led. The work we do is always aligned to national and regional health priorities, and supports the development of independent, comprehensive and sustainable health systems.

More about Partnerships, Community Engagement, Co-Design

Countries of Focus

We’re proud of our impact around the world, including supporting the introduction of drug-related harm reduction programs, developing low-cost diagnostic tools to aid HIV responses in low-income countries, and driving progress towards the elimination of pernicious infectious diseases. Those experiences, and our strong links with partners and communities across the globe, will help drive our impact in the years ahead. Find out more about where we work.

Australia

Melbourne (Office)

Papua New Guinea

Port Moresby, Kokopo, Daru (Offices)

Myanmar

Yangon (Office)

Leaving no-one behind

More than a third of the Burnet team is based overseas in offices across Asia and the Pacific, supporting the work of local partners and contributing to local projects. We use our expertise in lab-based medical science, translational research, and public health programs to help our partners provide their communities with access to life-changing medical research and high-quality health programs.

More about Partnerships, Community Engagement, Co-Design