New antivenom will save lives in Papua New Guinea

Caption: David Williams (right) and Owen Paiva with a Papua taipan

 

For the past several years, a small group of Papua New Guinean researchers, led by an Australian scientist, working inside a modest unassuming brick building in a quiet corner of the University of PNG's Taurama Medical School have helped develop a new treatment for one of PNG's most-neglected public health problems.

This week their work has emerged into the international spotlight following publication in a prestigious medical journal of the first results in the testing of a new Papuan taipan snake antivenom which is hoped will save hundreds of lives every year.

Papua New Guinea has some of the highest snakebite rates anywhere in the world, and in some parts of Central Province, the mortality rate is several times higher than malaria, TB and pneumonia death rates, largely because a lack of interest in the problem has made access to safe, effective treatments scarce, and unaffordable.

The high cost of imported Australian antivenoms has made it increasingly difficult for the PNG Government to meet the demand, and has contributed to a black market in these products which often sees them stolen from hospitals and sold illegally for up to US$3,200.

This may soon all change, as researchers from the University of Papua New Guinea collaborating with scientists from the University of Costa Rica and The University of Melbourne's Australian Venom Research Unit (AVRU) and Nossal Institute for Global Health, announced the successful preclinical testing of a new, low cost Papuan taipan antivenom, that not only offers a sustainable solution to the problem, but provides the opportunity for Papua New Guinea to eventually produce its own antivenoms.

Results of the WHO-recommended preclinical assessment tests of the new antivenom have been published this month in the open access journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (www.plosntds.org).

They show that the new antivenom, manufactured by the University of Costa Rica's Instituto Clodomiro Picado, effectively neutralises the lethal effects of taipan venom in laboratory tests, and is suitable for human trials.

The project was initiated by AVRU and Nossal Institute for Global Health snakebite researcher, David Williams who has studied snakebite in PNG for a decade, and long championed the goal of empowering PNG to produce its own antivenoms.

"Snakebite is a curable illness that only continues to kill and maim people around the world because it fails to return profits to drug companies" Mr Williams said.

"Access to safe, affordable medicines is a basic human right, and our focus is to give that right back to the victims of snakebite in PNG".

In Port Moresby, personnel from AVRU and the University of PNG collaborate to jointly run the research Serpentarium where Papuan taipans are kept to produce the venom used to make the new antivenom.

UPNG Researcher, Owen Paiva, who manages the Serpentarium with reptile keeper Jasper Gabugabu, said "plans are already being discussed to begin the next phase of the local capacity building which will see training of more PNG scientists in antivenom production, and the development of facilities to enable antivenom to be produced locally."

Financing this work is an urgent priority.

The project has received good support from the Office of Higher Education, Mr Paiva said, but in order to scale up to conduct human clinical trials, further fieldwork to collect more taipans for venom production, and laboratory experiments, dedicated funding needs to be obtained.

Australian Venom Research Unit Director, Dr Ken Winkel said "The partnership between the three Universities involved in the project is a landmark example of how international cooperation can help to solve the challenge of delivering, high quality, effective antivenoms to developing world nations".

Achieved with minimal specific research funding to date, the project is a blueprint for developing new antivenoms for other regions of the world with similar problems to PNG.

"AVRU and its partners in PNG and Costa Rica have shown that an affordable, potent antivenom to one of the world's most lethal snakes, the Papuan taipan can be produced for less than US$100 per dose by adopting a humanitarian approach to drug development" he said.

 "In Africa and Asia effective doses of antivenom can cost many hundreds of dollars, and even then the quality of some products is quite poor, leading to a high risk of potentially dangerous side effects. Our approach to antivenom design may change that, and in this, PNG is one of the country's leading the way".

The concept of producing antivenoms to meet PNG's needs through an applied research institution based at the UPNG School of Medicine & Health Sciences follows closely the model used by the Instituto Clodomiro Picado in Costa Rica, which is itself, an autonomous research institute of the University of Costa Rica.

Its original role of meeting the antivenom needs of its own country have grown since it was founded; now placing it at the forefront of efforts to address snakebite problems in the developing world.

These are contributions which the World Health Organisation recognised this week, awarding the Instituto Clodomiro Picado the coveted "Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health" at the 64^th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

"We congratulate our Costa Rican colleagues for this important recognition of their work on behalf of not just their own people, but also snakebite victims in Africa, Asia and of course, here in Papua New Guinea" said Professor Teatulohi Matainaho, Dean of Research at UPNG.

"The recognition by WHO shows just how important and valuable to the health of nations, sustainable projects such as this can be", Professor Matainaho said.

David Williams agrees "PNG has the capacity to surmount the challenges of producing antivenom locally, and in addition to providing local scientists with valuable training and employment possibilities, this project will greatly improve the research capacity of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, while at the same time meeting the need for affordable, sustainable supplies of an important essential medicine."

Dr Matainaho said "This research collaboration promotes UPNG's strategic research mission to develop and carry out research that has direct and practical applications to improving the health of our people, and also supports the greater vision of the Science and Technology Initiative of the PNG Office of Higher Education."

The research team are now working to raise the funding to commence human trials of the new taipan antivenom in Port Moresby later this year.

 

 Organisations interested in supporting their work should contact David Williams (david.williams@unimelb,edu.au) from the UPNG-AVRU Snakebite Research Project.

For more information please contact:

David Williams: 76719476 or by email: david.williams@unimelb.edu.au

Teatulohi Matainaho: 72026997

Ken Winkel: +61 3 83447753

Owen Paiva: 71030810

Photographic images are available on request in 300 dpi JPG or TIF format: please email David Williams if these are required.

Windjammer burns

 A huge crowd making a beeline to the burning Windjammer Beach Motel in Wewak, East Sepik, on Sunday afternoon, The National reports.
The fire allegedly started from the burning of  a pile of old dockets outside the bar area.
Extensive damage was reported along the eastern wing that housed the kitchen, offices, entertainment areas, conference and bar facilities.
Owner Sir Hugo Bergusher was partly burnt and reportedly knocked unconscious by a burning timber.
Looters and opportunists also had a field day breaking into rooms and stealing refrigerators, TV sets, chairs, beds and mattresses. – Nationalpic by GYNNIE KERO

Bankers aided to improve services

INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, is helping bankers in the Pacific Islands improve financial products and services for small and medium enterprises, allowing entrepreneurs to obtain financing for their businesses   more easily, The National reports.

IFC, in collaboration with the governments of Australia, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand, is training more than 20 bankers from 13 institutions from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Solomon Islands in building sustainable banking operations to support small and medium businesses.

The three-day training programme in Port Moresby – IFC's first in the Pacific – covers strategy and market segmentation, product design, credit-risk management, and information management systems.  

"Small and medium businesses are the backbone of the economy," Loi Bakani, Governor of the Bank of PNG, said.

 "Hence, IFC's efforts to help close the financing gap by providing banks with practical knowledge to better understand and serve small entrepreneurs are extremely important."

 The training is part of IFC's Global SME Banking Advisory Services Programme, which aims to help banks in emerging markets assess the potential benefits of and target the needs of small and medium enterprises and to expand this line of business.  

"Often small and medium enterprises fund their own operations and struggle to grow their businesses," IFC manager for the Pacific, Gavin Murray, said.

"By helping banks develop solutions for smaller enterprises to increase productivity and expand their operations, IFC is supporting economic growth and job creation across the region."

IFC also has conducted similar trainings in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia

Kiunga-Hiritano highway gets OK

BY JASON GIMA WURI

 

THE Trans-Island Highway (stage two) road project agreement, which will run 600km between Kiunga in Western and Central's Hiritano and through three provinces, has been given the go-ahead by the national government, landowners and developer Independent Timbers and Stevedoring Ltd, The National reports.

Western Deputy Governor James Ukin said the project was a long time coming but it had finally arrived for the people of Western and southern region.

The highway would run through Western, Gulf and Central provinces.

 "This project has taken eight years of negotiations and, at last, the government has approved it," Ukin said.

"We thank the developer who willingly came in and assisted us with more than K30 million to do feasibility studies to meet the requirements of all line departments including lands, forest, transport and works, commerce, trade and industry and civil aviation.

"Western is the largest province but parts of it have not been developed since independence.

"In fact, the people are dying, they are still fighting each other and practise cannibalism.

"Since independence, no good development had taken place although the Ok Tedi mine is there," Ukin said.

He said basic services like schools, health centres and markets to sell their fresh produce were hard to access by the rural people.

"The road project is very important to link the people to better services.

"The national and provincial governments will not put any money on this project.

"Two major bridges will be built from 100 tonnes of brick across the Fly River and Strickland River," Ukin said.

Minister for Commerce and Industry Gabriel Kapris, who was at the signing ceremony, said it was the sheer determination of the landowners who wanted to trade off their resources for access to roads and sustainable development in agriculture by agreeing with a developer to harvest forest within the road corridors for a second phase of the trans-national highway.

The highway would also open up links to Gulf, Southern Highlands and West Sepik.

Kapris urged all stakeholders to proceed with the implementation of the project as per the spirit of the agreement to ensure the project benefits were derived for the landowners, developer, province and the country.

Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio signed the agreement on behalf of the state with the Fly River provincial government, North East West Investment Ltd, Kebogas Investment Ltd, Tosigiba Timber Group Ltd, PNG Agency for International Development and developer IT&S Ltd.

Historical 9 to work in Australian farms

By ANCILLA WRAKUALE

 

NINE men made history yesterday by becoming the first Papua New Guineans to leave for Australia to work as seasonal workers, The National reports.

The men will be involved in pruning almond trees in Robinvale, Victoria, for four months.

PNG seasonal workers task force committee chairman Alexis Maino said it took some time for the pilot project to start but he was happy to see the first contingent of seasonal workers off to Australia yesterday.

Maino told reporters yesterday more locals would leave to work in Australia if they were needed.

He said the pilot scheme was made possible after the signing of a memorandum of understanding last July in Alotau during the PNG Australia bilateral meeting between then foreign affairs minister Sam Abal and his Australian counterpart Stephen SmithMaino said they secured a K1 million funding from the Department of Finance and Treasury for the pilot scheme.

He said the workers would be paid between A$18 and A$19 (K46-K48.50) an hour.

Department of Labour secretary George Vaso said it was an exciting time as the country exported labour for the first time since independence.

He urged the men to be good ambassadors of PNG while in Australia.

"Be of good behaviour and character, work hard and come back as good ambassadors," Vaso said.

Acting Deputy Australian High Commissioner Adrian Lochrin thanked the task force team, saying it was quite a task given the enormous interest shown.

He encouraged the men to do well as their performance would determine similar interest in future.

Lochrin said PNG was known for its farming and living in communities and hoped that the men would fit in well with the Victorian community.

Workers team leader Nickson Peni said they were happy for the opportunity and promised to work hard and be good ambassadors of PNG.

Ex-Miss PNG fights pornography claims

One arrested at city mall during bid to blackmail TV presenter

DETECTIVES arrested a 23-year-old man in a mall while attempting to extort money and sex from TV journalist and former Miss PNG Antonia Singut in Port Moresby on Saturday, police said in a statement yesterday, The National reports.

A Martin Wojeiba, of Rosun village, Manus, was arrested and charged with possessing pornographic materials.

According to Singut, numerous threats had been received by her and her immediate family since February.

The threats related to allegations that Singut had been involved in a pornographic video and that callers wanted money from her.

She said yesterday the allegations were the work of people trying to defame her standing in the public.

She said: "I strongly refute these allegations.

Singut said: "As a former Miss PNG and TV presenter, as well as a role model in the community, I am mindful of my activities and whom I associate with.

"Such malicious allegations contradict the Christian values I stand for and the upbringing my parents have instilled in me."

She said it all started when a caller claimed he had in his possession a video tape of her and her boyfriend.

"I told him he was wasting my time as I had not participated in any activities of the sort," she said.

Singut said her family had been greatly affected as a result. 

Father, Brian Singut, denied his daughter's involvement.

"It is very sad that our children have to grow up in this cruel world," he said, expressing concern about his daughter's security. 

"By God's grace, my family has survived this ordeal for the past four to five months ... from sick human beings with malicious intent to destroy my daughter's reputation," he said.

Singut filed a police complaint after receiving malicious telephone calls and emails accusing her of taking part in a pornographic video tape.

Officer-in-charge of the sexual offence squad Tinol Pakiapon said the woman in the sex tape "is not Singut".

He said anyone caught circulating malicious rumours or attempting to blackmail or extort money from the victim would be arrested.

Pakiapon said the suspect was caught by police inside the Vision City Mega Mall.

Unaware of the police sting, the suspect met and showed her the video on his phone while demanding K500 as well as sex.

"He was quickly overpowered and arrested by policemen in civilian clothing who had arrived earlier in the shopping complex," he said.

Pakiapon said the suspect faced further charges relating to attempted blackmail and extortion.

Another man of mixed Filipino and Central parentage was only warned after police could not find the tape in his possession.

Police are trying to locate a woman identified as Louisa Hainter, who allegedly posted defamatory remarks against Singut on the social network Facebook.

Pakiapon is appealing to anyone who may know the whereabouts of Hainter to contact the sexual offences squad at the Boroko police station on 324 4257.

Hearty welcome

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal was given a hearty welcome on Saturday when he arrived in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to present K3 million for the upgrading and sealing of roads, The National reports.
The Buka ring road received K2 million while K1 million was for the 20km Kokopau to Siera road.
The presentation took place at Kokopau in the Selau constituency of North Bougainville.
The acting PM also apologised for what had happened in the past and publicly declared: "Bougainville, we love you, the rest of PNG loves you. Sorry for the past that has happened but there is that decision to move forward to a brighter future." – Nationalpic by STEPHANIE ELIZAH