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DWU Hosts JICA-Led Scoping Mission for Proposed Malaria Elimination Research Project

Divine Word University recently welcomed a visiting delegation to its Madang and St Benedict’s Wewak campuses as part of a scoping mission for a proposed international malaria elimination research project in Papua New Guinea.

The visit began at DWU’s Madang Campus recently, consisting of representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), PNG Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), National Department of Health and Senior malaria researchers from Japan. The officials met with the DWU team to discuss the proposed research collaboration and its implementation framework.

DWU President Fr Philip Gibbs welcomed the delegation, alongside Executive Director Research and Higher Degrees Dr Madeline Lemeki, DWU Madang Campus Administrator Fr Wilson Jacob, and Director of the Centre for Health Research and Diagnostics Dr Clement Manineng.

The proposed project will bring together researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University and Nagasaki University in Japan, PNGIMR and DWU, working in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program of the National Department of Health. The project is expected to focus on five key areas: sociocultural diversity, climate change and malaria, malaria interventions, health system strengthening, and malaria intervention modelling.

With much of the proposed research expected to take place in East Sepik Province, DWU’s St Benedict’s Wewak Campus is expected to serve as a key coordination base, supported by a complementary administrative project base at the Madang Campus. DWU faculty members and students are also expected to contribute to community-based activities, with the University playing a particularly important role in the project’s health system strengthening component and potentially contributing to research on sociocultural diversity.

Following discussions in Madang, the scoping mission continued to St Benedict’s Wewak Campus, where Campus Administrator Mr. Peter Paul Kaiyeke welcomed the delegation. The visiting team presented the project concept and discussed the Campus’ potential contribution through logistical, staffing and facility support.

The delegation also toured facilities including available office spaces, VIP Apartments and the Great Hall as part of an assessment of the Campus’ capacity to serve as a base for research personnel and project activities. In Madang, the delegation similarly toured DWU’s Centre for Health Research and Diagnostics, where Dr Clement Manineng presented facilities that could support the project.

Discussions on the project’s design and implementation are expected to continue towards February 2027, with the project anticipated to commence in November 2027, subject to the necessary arrangements between the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Japan.