Special initiative in tropical health research

The Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), based at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, will receive an additional $42 million through the Australian Research Council’s Special Research Initiatives scheme, matching the Queensland Government’s funding commitment.

The funding, to be provided over four years, will be used to expand the AITHM and consolidate planned research and training activities in the northern Australia region.

AITHM aims to establish northern Australia as a centre of excellence in tropical health, medical and biotechnology research and research training.

It has the three research priorities of health security and biosecurity; health in rural, remote, Indigenous and tropical Australia; and health in the tropics, regionally and globally.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, Professor Ian Wronski, said JCU’s location puts it in on the frontline for biosecurity and health security.

“We are ideally placed to tackle issues including the prevalence of tuberculosis in neighbouring Papua New Guinea, as well as dengue fever, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and soil-transmitted parasites,” he said.

“These are diseases that have a devastating effect on many developing nations in the tropics and also pose a threat to Australians, given our frequent interactions with neighbouring countries.”

AITHM operational funding through the Australian Government will help to expand research and training expertise in the microbiology of infectious diseases, including virology, as well as in disease modelling, disease control, surveillance methodologies, health information systems, health economics and occupational health and safety.

Plans for the funding include:

• $25.5 million to fund tropical health research and training facilities at JCU in Townsville, Cairns and the Torres Strait
• $10 million to fund a Translational Research Centre at JCU Townsville
• $1.5 million to fund an Occupational Health Research Centre in Mackay
• $5 million to fund network and general operating activities.