Diseases caused by the pneumococcus represent the largest cause of vaccine preventable death in the world today, mainly pneumonia and meningitis. In 2011, 16 developing countries will introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, none in east Asia. Lack of research has been a major barrier to their use in the region. We have established an international centre of excellence in the field and we seek support to extend the capacity of this group and to transfer the technology to Vietnam.
Impact Of DTP Schedules On The Immunogenicity Of 2 Doses Of 13v-PCV Followed By An Early Booster
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,651,687.00
Summary
This project aims to come up with a vaccination schedule to make pneumococcal vaccines more effective and affordable for Fiji and other developing countries. We will evaluate schedules involving a 2 dose primary series in early infancy with a booster at 9 months of age. We will compare the immune responses to 3 different primary series and 2 booster options. The results of this project will be used to provide advice, at global and country levels, regarding introduction of pneumococcal vaccines.
A Study To Investigate Alternative Regimens For Pneumococcal Vaccination Of Infants In A Developing Country
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,622,210.00
Summary
Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pnc) is the leading vaccine preventable cause of serious infection in infants. The current Pnc conjugate vaccine is very expensive (approximately USD $200-infant) so it is unlikely to be affordable for most developing countries. Moreover, as health care access in developing countries may be episodic and unreliable, many children do not receive either complete or timely vaccine courses. Therefore, it is important to investigate affordable and flexible ways to deliver thi ....Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pnc) is the leading vaccine preventable cause of serious infection in infants. The current Pnc conjugate vaccine is very expensive (approximately USD $200-infant) so it is unlikely to be affordable for most developing countries. Moreover, as health care access in developing countries may be episodic and unreliable, many children do not receive either complete or timely vaccine courses. Therefore, it is important to investigate affordable and flexible ways to deliver this vaccine, which are safe and effective. A recent WHO-GAVI meeting to address impediments to the introduction of these vaccines in developing countries recognized the need to evaluate other regimens of Pnc conjugate vaccine as an important research priority. This study has been deliberately formulated with that need in mind. The site for this research is Fiji. Although health services are good, Pnc disease, particularly pneumonia, remains the commonest cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Fiji has good vaccine coverage and was the first Pacific country to introduce Hib vaccine. The arrival of the new, expensive Pnc conjugate vaccine presents a dilemma for Fiji and many similar countries. The expense of this vaccine would consume a large portion of the health budget. This study has two components: 1. A Phase 2 immunogenicity study (involving 750 infants) to evaluate regimens using reduced numbers of doses of Pnc conjugate vaccine, and using timing of dosing and combinations with the Pnc polysaccharide (PS) vaccine that may be more suited to the epidemiology of Pnc disease in developing countries. 2. An epidemiological study will measure the burden of invasive Pnc disease and pneumonia in Fiji. This will be part of a global effort to address these issues, and will be used to develop rapid assessment tools for these diseases in developing countries. We will seek cofounding for this component.Read moreRead less
Creative Tropical City: Mapping Darwin's Creative Industries. This research will improve our knowledge and understanding of the creative industries in Darwin. It will provide a strong evidence base for the development of policy options for growing the creative industries in Darwin. And it will interrogate national and international creative industry policy frameworks for their applicability to Darwin.
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR200200677
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Staying on Country: Infrastructure Needs for Remote Community Viability. This project introduces the concept of infrastructural biographies to revisit the history of remote community formations from the self-determination era to today. Using ethnographic approaches to understand infrastructural legacies, it aims to interrogate the governance and hardware requirements for supporting Indigenous residents to stay on country. The project will produce four case studies capturing community resilience ....Staying on Country: Infrastructure Needs for Remote Community Viability. This project introduces the concept of infrastructural biographies to revisit the history of remote community formations from the self-determination era to today. Using ethnographic approaches to understand infrastructural legacies, it aims to interrogate the governance and hardware requirements for supporting Indigenous residents to stay on country. The project will produce four case studies capturing community resilience efforts in northern and central Australia. Expected benefits include an enhanced understanding of infrastructural issues in relation to viability concerns, and improved policy strategies for Indigenous corporations, NGOs, and governments working on remote Indigenous governance, maintenance programs, and climate-readiness.Read moreRead less
Immunising Aboriginal Mothers With Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine To Prevent Infant Ear Disease And Carriage
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,131,530.00
Summary
Aboriginal children experience the highest rates of acute and chronic ear infections in the world, with resultant permanent ear damage, hearing loss and educational disadvantage. These infections are mainly bacterial, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the predominant pathogen. Pneumococcal colonisation and infection begins within days of birth, many months before any potential immunological protection from infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may be expected. New strategies are nee ....Aboriginal children experience the highest rates of acute and chronic ear infections in the world, with resultant permanent ear damage, hearing loss and educational disadvantage. These infections are mainly bacterial, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the predominant pathogen. Pneumococcal colonisation and infection begins within days of birth, many months before any potential immunological protection from infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may be expected. New strategies are needed to eliminate, or at least delay, this early-onset pneumococcal colonisation. One such strategy is the administration to the mother of pneumococcal vaccine, which may protect the newborn infant by leading to higher titres of transplacental or breast milk pneumococcal antibodies and-or by reducing carriage (and transmission to the infant) of maternal pneumococci. Previous small studies using this strategy have been encouraging, but there have been no studies properly evaluating carriage or disease endpoints in infants. The polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine is currently recommended for all Aboriginal and Torres Islander persons aged 15 years or more in the Northern Territory but uptake of the vaccine has been poor. We propose to conduct a pilot study to determine if maternal immunisation with this vaccine, either in the third trimester of pregancy of immediately following delivery, can reduce pneumococcal carriage and the prevalence of middle ear disease among Aboriginal infants at seven months of age. We aim to recruit 210 Aboriginal women who have uncomplicated pregnancies from Darwin and remote communities in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Each subject and their infant offspring will be followed-up after vaccination and at birth, one , two and seven months after birth.Read moreRead less
Improving Birth Outcomes in China: consequences and potentials of policy, state and professional interactions. The aim of the project is to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with birth by informing health systems improvement in China. We will develop an innovative methodology to study consequences of policy, state and professional interactions on birth outcomes. This work is also relevant in other settings. Macro economic reforms in China have produced paradoxical disparities between ri ....Improving Birth Outcomes in China: consequences and potentials of policy, state and professional interactions. The aim of the project is to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with birth by informing health systems improvement in China. We will develop an innovative methodology to study consequences of policy, state and professional interactions on birth outcomes. This work is also relevant in other settings. Macro economic reforms in China have produced paradoxical disparities between rich and poor and urban and rural populations evident in maternal morbidity and mortality. Results will inform facilitative policies and models of service to optimise safety and increase effectiveness in deployment of human and monetary resources.Read moreRead less
Challenges, Possibilities and Future Directions: A National Assessment of Australia's Children's Courts. Children's Courts occupy a unique position in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in responding to often marginalized delinquent youth and vulnerable children and families. Philosophical and structural shifts in Australia and overseas suggest community and legal system responses are often ineffective and contribute to longer-term problems, creating social challenges for governments ....Challenges, Possibilities and Future Directions: A National Assessment of Australia's Children's Courts. Children's Courts occupy a unique position in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in responding to often marginalized delinquent youth and vulnerable children and families. Philosophical and structural shifts in Australia and overseas suggest community and legal system responses are often ineffective and contribute to longer-term problems, creating social challenges for governments and communities alike. This national study will examine how key stakeholders, including, significantly, judicial officers, view the Children's Court's contemporary responses and challenges, their preferred alternatives responses and the viability of suggested reforms, thus offering a unique contribution to informing legal and social policy change.Read moreRead less
A study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Understanding and strengthening the way in which universal health services are provided to pregnant women, children and families has the potential to impact over a million Australian families annually. The findings of this study will have national application as federal, state and territory governments work towards implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Th ....A study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Understanding and strengthening the way in which universal health services are provided to pregnant women, children and families has the potential to impact over a million Australian families annually. The findings of this study will have national application as federal, state and territory governments work towards implementing a national approach to child and family health services. The findings will inform effective multidisciplinary collaboration and service integration, address service gaps and duplication and lead to increased access to services. This study will generate new knowledge about characteristics of organisations, service delivery and professions that facilitate or hinder innovation.Read moreRead less
Can there be good policy? Tracing the paths between policy intent, evidence and practical benefit in regional and remote Australia. By tracking major health, housing and education reforms currently underway across regional and remote Australia, this research generates fresh perspectives on an urgent contemporary debate in Indigenous social affairs: namely, are governments best placed to drive social change or to determine policy imperatives; and if not, are there alternate ways to generate good ....Can there be good policy? Tracing the paths between policy intent, evidence and practical benefit in regional and remote Australia. By tracking major health, housing and education reforms currently underway across regional and remote Australia, this research generates fresh perspectives on an urgent contemporary debate in Indigenous social affairs: namely, are governments best placed to drive social change or to determine policy imperatives; and if not, are there alternate ways to generate good policy? An anthropological approach will be used to observe government policy at work. The research will explore the institutional reasons behind the gap between intention and outcome in Indigenous social policy; how failure cycles in policy are replicated; and possible techniques for creating and implementing a new ethics of policy engagement.Read moreRead less