Abstract
Infectious disease research requires expertise from multiple diverse backgrounds. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), relationships are an integral part of the culture, both historically and today, and play a critical role in conducting infectious disease research activities across the country. Research efforts on vector-borne diseases (VBDs), such as malaria and dengue, run parallel to rigorous implementation research to reduce the burden of other neglected tropical diseases and combat growing anti-microbial resistance in the country. This chapter will highlight the history of collaborative research in Papua New Guinea and specifically, how the partnership-based approach to implementation research has been adopted to conduct infectious disease research at different levels of the health system. In PNG, genuine trust-based relationships have been established over time by incorporating a set of guiding principles into daily practice and focusing on principles such as authenticity, courage, equality, equity, mutual benefit, and transparency throughout the research cycle. This chapter showcases key learnings across multiple and interconnected levels of the health system. It also sheds light on nuanced approaches to partnerships which harness local knowledge and empower champions to enable meaningful research and systemic change.