The Australian and Singaporean Governments have announced a new collaborative medical research partnership aimed at tackling three of the most infectious diseases in the Asia-Pacific region.

The research project will receive $3.5 million in joint funding to combat tuberculosis, dengue fever and influenza.

“Infectious diseases such as SARS, avian and swine flu are significant threats to public health in the Asia Pacific region. It is vital that we work with regional partners to prepare for potential outbreaks and successfully treat the cases that are currently emerging in our region,” Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said.

The joint funding is being allocated through Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

“This collaboration demonstrates Australia’s capacity to join other world-leading research bodies and achieve much more than if countries tried to tackle these issues individually” NHMRC CEO, Professor Warwick Anderson said.

Participating Australian research institutions include the University of Melbourne, Monash University, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and Melbourne Health.

Participating Singaporean research institutions include the National University of Singapore, A*STAR’s Bioinformatics Institute, the Genome Institute of Singapore and the Singapore Immunology Network.