A new philanthropic grant from the Matariki Fund,
administered by Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern, will aid the
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in developing a new
vaccine to prevent and treat people from painful urinary
tract infections (UTIs).
The $2 million grant will
significantly advance vaccine development, and ensure
Pacific communities are included in research efforts as
critical evidence on disease burden, antimicrobial
resistance and vaccine readiness is gathered to further a
UTI vaccine for global use.
“UTIs are among the
world’s most common bacterial infections affecting hundreds
of millions of people annually and disproportionally
impacting women and girls, including in our Pacific
region,” said Dame Jacinda Ardern.
“The incredible
work of the University of Technology Sydney, and its
partners, show that this can, and should be changed – and
we can make new advancements that improve the quality of
people’s lives, and do so alongside the communities who
will benefit most.”
Director of the Australian
Institute for Microbiology and Infection at UTS Associate
Professor Iain Duggin said, “Worsening antimicrobial
resistance makes these infections even more dangerous, and
we need new ways to combat infections and limit their
recurrence and spread.”
“We are building on strong
foundations established through our existing mRNA vaccine
research, while generating the evidence needed to better
understand the burden of urinary tract infections and
antimicrobial resistance in Pacific communities. The goal is
not only to advance UTI vaccine development, but to create a
pathway that can ultimately deliver meaningful health
outcomes for women and girls across the Pacific and to
broader communities around the world.
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“The project
will investigate and plan how a vaccine could benefit people
in the Pacific Islands region, who are disadvantaged through
limited diagnostic and surveillance capacity, delayed access
to care, high and rising antimicrobial resistance and
constrained health-system
resources.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt
said, “This partnership demonstrates what is possible when
philanthropy, research excellence and global collaboration
come together around a shared purpose. UTS is uniquely
positioned to lead this work through our world-class
infectious disease research, advanced biomanufacturing
capability and decades of trusted partnerships across the
Pacific. The Matariki Fund’s investment will help us build
the evidence, relationships and implementation pathways
needed to ensure future innovations can achieve real and
lasting impact.
“It will boost our team’s capacity
to combine cutting edge vaccine innovation with
community-led implementation planning to help ensure future
advances in UTI prevention reach the women, communities and
health systems that need them most.”
Deputy
Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Kate McGrath said the
funding would support Pacific engagement and partnership
development, UTI epidemiology and evidence generation, and
implementation planning to help accelerate future
vaccine-based prevention strategies.
“This
convergence of scientific excellence, translational
manufacturing capability and trusted regional health-system
leadership that gives UTS the depth, credibility and
momentum to deliver this ambitious program.”
The
program brings together the Australian Institute for
Microbiology and Infection, the WHO Collaborating Centre for
Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development, and UTS public
health researchers. This distinctive combination enables UTS
to advance vaccine development, implementation planning and
Pacific partnership development simultaneously, helping to
ensure scientific innovation can translate into real-world
impact.
