Global Health

2023 HIGHLIGHTS

Advancing hepatitis B diagnosis capacity in Kiribati 

In 2023, Touakai Kambati, a DFAT Fellow and Senior Laboratory Scientist at the Ministry of Health of Kiribati, completed a capacity-building program at the Doherty Institute with the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL). Focused on addressing the high prevalence of hepatitis B in his Pacific Island Country, Mr Kambati’s training centred on mastering advanced techniques in viral load testing using the GeneXpert system. Along the way, he also gained valuable insights in laboratory management and returned home inspired to mentor his colleagues and implement changes based on his experience. This training is one of the ways in which the Kiribati and Australian governments are working together to increase the number of skilled scientists in-country, in order to streamline screening practices and increase access to treatment. 

Lessons from the Mongolian COVID-19 public health response 

A study by the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences and the Doherty Institute showed that strict social measures effectively contained COVID-19 in Mongolia until vaccines were rolled out in early 2021. By the end of 2021, 82 per cent of the population had antibodies against the virus, up from just 1.5 per cent in 2020, largely due to a successful vaccination program. The research, co-authored by Dr Chris Bailie, Victorian Public Health Medicine Trainee at the Doherty Institute and the University of Melbourne’s Professor Jodie McVernon, Director of Epidemiology at the Doherty Institute, also found that high antibody prevalence among both vaccinated and unvaccinated adults were insufficient to prevent an Omicron outbreak in early 2022. Like in other highly immunised countries such as Australia, vaccines likely contributed to low rates of severe disease, highlighting the need for ongoing vaccination and public health strategies. 

The ACCELERATE Project - Accelerating to Zero Transmission of Leprosy in Nepal  

Despite being preventable and treatable, the neglected tropical skin disease leprosy continues to affect marginalised communities around the world, including in Nepal. Major gaps in our understanding of leprosy transmission hinder efforts to effectively prevent infections and control the spread of the disease. The ACCELERATE Project, led by the University of Melbourne’s Associate Professor Sarah Dunstan, Principal Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute, with funding from the LEO Foundation, aims to fill these gaps. The research team is sequencing the genome of Mycobacterium leprae, the disease-causing bacterium, to deepen our knowledge of leprosy epidemiology. Working closely with Nepalese partners, including the Centre for Molecular Dynamics and the Birat Nepal Medical Trust, the researchers seek to improve diagnostics, treatment and vaccine development, to achieve zero transmission of leprosy in Nepal and improve health outcomes. 

Vaccination campaign in Fiji, a significant step toward typhoid elimination 

In July 2023, the Ty-FIVE (Typhoid in Fiji – Vaccination towards Elimination) consortium launched a large-scale vaccination campaign against typhoid in Fiji’s Northern Division. Acknowledging Fiji’s high typhoid burden and challenges with water and sanitation infrastructure, the Ty-FIVE partners – the International Vaccine Institute, the Fijian Ministry of Health, the Doherty Institute and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute – determined that implementing the typhoid conjugate vaccine was key to controlling the bacterial disease. This public health initiative, supported by the University of Melbourne’s Professor Kim Mulholland at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Professor Dick Strugnell and Dr Aneley Getahun Strobel at the Doherty Institute, vaccinated 69,683 people aged nine months to 65. Along with enhanced surveillance and environmental monitoring, this campaign is a significant step toward the elimination of typhoid in the region. 

Strengthening influenza surveillance and laboratory capabilities in the South Pacific 

In addition to research and influenza surveillance, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Doherty Institute provides technical support, training and advice to WHO National Influenza Centres and other diagnostic laboratories worldwide, particularly in low to middle-income countries, to enhance influenza monitoring and response capabilities. In 2023, the Centre's key activities included training scientists in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste in PCR testing for influenza and other respiratory pathogens. The team mentored laboratories in Timor-Leste and Brunei Darussalam as they worked towards designation as WHO National Influenza Centres and supported diagnostic capacities in a number of other laboratories in the Asia-Pacific Region. Additionally, the Centre delivered training in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) genome sequencing in Mongolia and coordinated the implementation of multiplex PCR, an advanced testing method used to detect multiple viruses. 

Doherty Institute joins global effort to bolster pandemic preparedness 

The Doherty Institute, together with key research institutions from Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States, established the Pandemic Research Alliance to support global pandemic preparedness through research. Launched in December 2023 with support from the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations, the Alliance aims to strengthen pandemic preparedness globally by sharing critical research and pooling expertise and resources. 

Collaborating in the areas of discovery science and emerging infectious diseases, leading virologists work together under the One Health approach to advance research, improve global surveillance and accelerate treatment and vaccine development for respiratory viruses. The Alliance is committed to publishing joint research to ensure that valuable insights and advancements are widely disseminated to facilitate effective responses to emerging infectious disease threats and inform global health policies and practices. 

The Doherty institute stands alongside Hong Kong University, Tsinghua University, Guangzhou National Laboratory, Duke-National University of Singapore and Columbia University as foundation members.  

Collaborative efforts to address malaria in pregnancy in Papua New Guinea 

Malaria remains a major global health challenge in countries like Papua New Guinea, where it poses serious risks for pregnant women and their unborn children. Researchers at the Doherty Institute are developing monoclonal antibodies, lab-made versions of the body's natural immune response, to help design a vaccine protecting pregnant women from malaria. 

In 2023, in collaboration with researchers from the Menzies School of Health Research and the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, the University of Melbourne’s Dr Elizabeth Aitken, Research Officer at the Doherty Institute, travelled to Papua New Guinea to collect white blood cells from pregnant women with high levels of malaria antibodies. Back in Melbourne, these cells are being used to develop and test monoclonal antibodies against placental malaria in-vitro. This early-stage research has the potential to make a meaningful impact in endemic areas where malaria can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and premature or underweight babies. 

Empowering Nepal’s public health through pathogen genomics training 

The Centre for Pathogen Genomics (CPG) at the Doherty Institute is a hub for academic collaboration and training, focusing on pathogen genomics to enhance infectious disease preparedness across the Asia-Pacific region. 

In January 2023, the CPG was invited to Kathmandu, Nepal, by the Birat Nepal Medical Trust, the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal, the Epidemic Intelligence project partners Nepal Health Research Council, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to deliver training in pathogen genomics for public health. Led by a team of five scientists, the workshop focused on bioinformatic analysis of viral and bacterial genomes, connecting research insights with public health applications. The training aimed to bolster local capacity in interpreting genomic data for effective public health responses, addressing critical skill gaps in Nepal’s infectious disease surveillance efforts. Participants praised the workshop’s impact and eagerly requested more collaborations and training sessions. 

Accelerating international research partnerships through collaborative seed funding 

The Doherty Institute continues to lead in global research partnerships. Supported by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, Doherty Institute researchers visited Fudan University in Shanghai in October 2023 for a joint symposium on pandemic preparedness. The two-day event highlighted research on viral pathogens, such as HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis B, and panel discussions on pandemic preparedness in both countries.   

In December 2023, the Doherty Sino-Australian Travel-Research Grant program was announced, a scheme designed to encourage and strengthen collaborations between the University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute and Fudan University. Following a competitive process, four research projects successfully secured grants of up to $20,000 in areas including COVID-19 and MERS, facilitating researchers’ travel to China, supporting growth and research development, and fostering strong partnerships.