Scaling up point-of-care testing for infectious diseases in Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities | UNSW

Access to timely healthcare is a challenge for many remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment for infections. In response, the UNSW’s Kirby Institute, in partnership with Flinders University, developed the First Nations Molecular Point-of-Care (POC) Testing Program to make testing for infectious diseases more accessible.  

Launched in 2013, the program operates in over 75 remote communities, helping prevent serious complications like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. With over 60,000 tests conducted and 9,000 infections treated, this initiative has dramatically improved health outcomes.

This highly accurate testing, which provides same-day results, has led to a 40 per cent reduction in pelvic inflammatory disease and 30 per cent reduction in preterm births among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The successful approval of the Medicare rebate for these tests marks a historic policy achievement, ensuring sustainable funding and accessibility for remote health services.

Finalists - Professor Rebecca Guy and team