The Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation is proud to share that Samantha Eala together with her team won the Indo-Pacific Global Health Case Competition held on September 9. Samantha, an ACRI Junior Research Fellow, Master of Public Health student at the University of Melbourne, and Australia Awards scholar, clinched first place in this formidable challenge, which attracts bright minds from universities across Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.

The focus of this year's competition was to develop actionable strategies to address malaria in Papua New Guinea. Participating teams were given two weeks to craft their solutions and had the opportunity to present their ideas in a 20-minute session to a panel comprised of renowned professionals and academics from the public health sector across the region.

The event was organised by the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and supported by the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences. It was notably the largest to date, with 28 teams from five countries and more than 150 participants. 

The 2024 winning team, including Samantha Julia Eala, with Professor Jamie Evans (Pro Vice-Chancellor Students and Education, University of Melbourne), Professor Rosemary McKenzie (Head of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health), Professor Margie Danchin (Associate Dean International, School of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne), and Professor Nathan Grills (University of Melbourne).

The competition is celebrated for promoting international collaboration and learning in tackling global health challenges; offering real-world, experiential learning in developing health programs and policies; strengthening ties between students and faculty from various international institutions; and enhancing problem-solving skills through the rich and diverse experiences of participants and their mentors.

Samantha Eala presenting their solution to the panel of judges. The strategy includes utilising citizen science to target mosquito breeding, enhancing case detection through participatory health promotion, and incorporating local beliefs and practices towards culturally responsive treatment.

Samantha reflected on her experience, saying, “Our analysis revealed a gap in existing elimination strategies: the integration of cultural and environmental factors. Thus, our proposal, “Yumi Wok Bung (We Work Together) to End Malaria Now,” advocates for a community-driven approach to eliminating malaria. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of students from medical, mathematical, biomedical, and public health fields was truly inspiring. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds and having never met before, we formed a united front, driven by our shared passion to develop strategic and feasible solutions to tackle global health challenges, such as the fight against malaria in Papua New Guinea.”

The Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation congratulates Samantha on this remarkable achievement and anticipates her continued impact on global health research and policy initiatives.