Maternal and Child Health

Major research program underway

The rate of maternal and child death in PNG is staggeringly high. Our research is identifying new solutions to reduce mortality.

Women and children continue to suffer significant illness from preventable causes, particularly in resource-poor countries in our region.

Achieving greater equity in maternal and child health particularly in resource-poor and high-risk communities in our region, requires an urgent need to develop and promote new strategies, tools and policies.

Women and children continue to die and suffer significant illness from preventable causes. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies is a collaborative research program aimed at providing life-saving health care for women and children in Papua New Guinea, where the rate of maternal and child death is staggeringly high. Tragically, more than 5000 babies die in their first year of life.

Burnet is also working with many communities to better understand and address the underlying factors that prevent access to crucial health care services such as family planning, postnatal and newborn care, vaccinations, management of childhood illnesses and nutrition.

Through the Maternal and Child Health program Burnet is committing to making a major contribution to:

Improving reproductive health, with a focus on pre-conception health
Reducing maternal and newborn mortality, and prevention of other adverse pregnancy outcomes
Reducing preventable causes of morbidity and mortality of children, and optimising growth and development
Advancement of gender equality, and prevention of gender-based violence
Increasing the capacity of health professionals, researchers, policy makers and the general community in maternal and child health, through education and training in Australia and globally.

Download

Program Goals and Objectives (69.3 KB)

Contact Details

Doctor Elissa Kennedy

Co-Program Director, Maternal and Child Health; Co-Head Global Adolescent Health

Telephone

+61392822119

Email

elissa.kennedy@burnet.edu.au

Projects

A novel gel for targeting vaginal inflammation to prevent HIV transmission
Developing an intravaginal gel delivering a vaginal microbiota metabolite.
A profile of adolescent health in Myanmar
Adolescents make up a significant proportion of the population in Myanmar, but their health needs remain poorly described.
Accelerating access to postnatal care and chlorhexidine in PNG
Scaling-up implementation and education relating to the postnatal period and introducing chlorhexidine for use by families.
Accelerating healthy agriculture and nutrition
The overall objective of this multi-sectoral action is to create supportive conditions for enhanced household nutrition.
Addressing adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the Pacific
Adolescents in the Pacific experience a significant burden of preventable poor sexual and reproductive health
Burnet Microbiome Initiative
Pilot study to characterise the vaginal microbiome in women from the HMHB cohort.
Collaborative Community Checklists for Immunisation (CCCI)
Adapting the WHO Immunisation Checklist to increase the uptake of immunisation in Myanmar.
Developing vaccines against malaria
This project aims to identify key antigens and specific epitopes that are targets of protective immunity.
Development of a point-of-care test for neonatal sepsis
Aimed at enabling healthcare workers to provide initial diagnosis in resource-constrained settings.
Development of hydrogel based intravaginal drug delivery device
Developing an intravaginal ring to deliver a microbiota metabolite.
Discovering the mechanisms and targets of immunity against malaria
Identifying the key targets of protective immunity in people who live in malaria-endemic regions.
Engaging private sector for adolescent health service delivery in Asia and Pacific
The aim of this research is to identify opportunities for public-private partnerships for adolescent health.
Evaluating a highly sensitive rapid malaria diagnostic in PNG
HS-RDT MiP in PNG: Testing performance of a novel high sensitivity rapid diagnostic malaria test in pregnant women.
Gender Counts
A quantitative assessment of gender inequality and its impacts on children and adolescents in Asia and the Pacific.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
A collaborative research program aimed at providing life-saving health care for women and children in PNG.
HMHB - Health Services for Postnatal and Infancy Care
Focuses on services during postnatal period and through the first 12 months in East New Britain, PNG.
HMHB: Quality of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Newborn Health Services Study
The ‘Gutpela Sevis’ study uses a participatory, partnership defined approach to improve care in East New Britain.
HMHB: The impact of nutrition, malaria and STIs on pregnant women and infants
Determining the major preventable causes of poor maternal health and low birth weight of babies in PNG.
Immunity to malaria and infectious diseases during pregnancy
How are pregnant women affected by infectious diseases such as malaria?
Improved point-of-care test to eliminate congenital syphilis
Optimising and validating an innovative test to enable immediate treatment at the point of care.
IMSA: Improving SRH knowledge among young people in Magwey, Myanmar
This formative study provides evidence of current knowledge and attitudes among adolescents.
Inequalities in sexual and reproductive health in Asia and the Pacific
Despite progress to improve sexual and reproductive health in the region, significant inequalities in health outcomes and access to essential care remain.
Integrated solutions for healthy birth, growth, and development in Lao PDR
Testing the effectiveness of an integrated package of community-based interventions.
New approaches to the treatment of lupus
Research into an early intervention diagnostic test for Lupus, which is particularly dangerous to women.
Non-communicable diseases in adolescents in Indonesia
An investigation of the burden of these diseases amongst Indonesian 16-18 year-olds.
Predicting quality and potency of monoclonal and natural antibodies
Rapid, simple and scalable assays for predicting antibody potency.
Sexual and reproductive health in Asia and the Pacific
A review of issues, policies and programmes.
The Mbereko + Men Model: Rural Zimbabwe
A community-based program to improve MNCH services, care and support in the home.
Vaccines against Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum malaria
This involves identifying and prioritising candidate antigens for vaccine development.

Latest News

15 October, 2019

Remembering Pregnancy and Infant Loss

We at Burnet acknowledge that 15 October marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

10 October, 2019

AAHMS Fellowship for Professor Caroline Homer

Burnet Institute’s Professor Caroline Homer has been appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

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01 December, 2019

World AIDS Day

Each year Burnet proudly supports the Victorian launch of World AIDS Day.

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Maternal and Child Health

Major research program underway