By PHHILIPPAJOY PAARENU, UPNG Journalism Student
THE National Department of Health has signed a landmark agreement with Japan to accelerate Malaria elimination in Papua New Guinea (PNG) through the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SAT‑REPS) program.
Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary for Health Pascoe Kase described malaria as “one of Papua New Guinea’s most serious public health challenges”.
“We must invest in stronger surveillance, artificial intelligence forecasting, and community participation if we are to eliminate malaria,” Mr. Kase said.
“This five‑year project will generate evidence we need to guide the next national malaria control strategy from 2031 to 2035.”
Professor William Pomat, Director of the PNG Institute of Medical Research, highlighted the importance of sustainability.
He noted that innovative interventions such as new radical cure treatments and vector control must be integrated into national policy to strengthen the health system.
Professor Akira Kaneko from Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine stressed that community involvement and adapting new technologies to local conditions was important.
Professor Laneko said that insecticide‑treated sealing nets have reduced malaria rates by 50 percent in Africa, and noted that this project will test their effectiveness in PNG.
“We fight malaria not with guns, but with science, technology, and knowledge,” Professor Kaneko said.
The project will focus on East Sepik Province, one of the country’s highest‑burden malaria areas, with complementary research in Madang and Port Moresby. Findings are expected to inform both national policy and regional elimination efforts across the Pacific.
The signing ceremony was attended by representatives from JICA, Japanese research institutions, Divine Word University, and the East Sepik Provincial Health Authority. The agreement paves the way for formal project arrangements in early 2027.