Geographical Locations - Papua New Guinea

• (Statistical) Number of Inhabitants per Doctor: 9,953
• CIA World Factbook : Papua New Guinea
• U.S. State Department : Papua New Guinea Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996
• WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) in Manila (Philippines)
  - WHO - Environmental Burden of Disease: Country Profile – Papua New Guinea
• Tobacco or Health: country profile (provided by CDC / OSH)
• UNDP Country Office: Papua New Guinea

Organisations and Networks

UN and Multinational

Government

• The official website of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

Non-Government

• Ausaid Country Programs - Papua New Guinea
• International Education Agency of Papua New Guinea - "The IEA provides clear direction through its mission statement and strategic plans. and is committed to participatory decision making processes at all levels of organisation. Parents, the community, principals and teachers have significant roles to play in the ongoing consultation process which underlies all decision making. Because of its diversity and commitment to meeting individual needs, decision making about the implementation of plans is, as far as practicable, devolved towards those who must implement the decisions. Principles of social justice and equity are valued throughout the IEA. There is a strong concern for the welfare of all who participate in assisting the IEA to achieve its mission. The IEA provides a broad and balanced curriculum designed to promote intellectual, creative, personal, physical and recreational skills and understandings. The curriculum fosters an appreciation of the natural and social environments and encourages a sense of responsibility towards these."
• Community Aid Abroad - Oxfam in Australia/Oxfam International

Academic Institutions

• University of Papua New Guinea - School of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Divine Word University - Faculty of Health Sciences

National Policy and Related Documents

Reports, Guidelines, and Projects

• Chronic Poverty in Papua New Guinea
  "In terms of internationally accepted measures, the people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) are poor. Worse yet, many are getting poorer. The reasons for this are complex, rooted in the geography of the country, its political economy and its social and political processes. To reduce its poverty is complicated and by most accounts, beyond the government’s ability or will to achieve, even with donor support. PNG is an exemplar of the thesis that environment is destiny, for its extreme landscape has left its mark on the nation in numerous ways. It consists of more than 600 islands, it ranges from sea level to 4500 meters and is subject to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The nation hosts nearly 6 million people divided into more than 850 language groups (clans or wontoks), with strong cultural identities and traditions. The sense of nation is weak and politics at all levels are chaotic… The nation’s administrative and political structures are highly decentralised, based on the ‘Organic Law for Provincial and Local-level Government’. This structure of government has proven to be dysfunctional as there is a disconnect between central and local levels, such that sector policies designed in the capital are not implemented effectively in the districts. This is because funding is insufficient and because a large percentage of sector funds is spent on staffing rather than operations. Complicating the issue is politicised service delivery and the fact that senior staff may work for one level of administration (e.g., central government) while junior staff work for another (district or province), which results in poor discipline. Moreover, the delivery of services is complicated by overlapping authority. Naturally, where resources and effective management are scarce civil servants are de-motivated and demoralised. The example of health service delivery in three provinces is given." [Chronic Poverty Research Centre (Background Paper for the Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09)]
• Development of a National Health Information System in Papua New Guinea
  "Health information systems development has been a priority for the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG). Like most governments GoPNG has always had access to some information for monitoring its health services. However, its information systems were relatively inefficient and functioning below their potential. This paper describes developments that took place between 1994 and 2000 to improve the availability and use of health information It considers three aspects (i) development of standardized reporting system (ii) integration of information systems (iii) improvements in the use of information." [Takemi Fellow Working Papers 2000-2005, RP190, Dec 2001 (Harvard School of Public Health)]
• Disease and death in Papua New Guinea
  Infectious diseases are still the dominating cause of death [publication summary] [MJA, Vol 178, 6 January 2003, pp.7-8]
• Empowering the initiation of a prevention strategy to combat malaria in Papua New Guinea: Project report
  Context: Approximately 3 million people die each year from malaria, making it a significant public health issue worldwide. Malaria is endemic in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and is the second most prevalent cause of death. In addition to associated mortality there is a high degree of morbidity. In remote PNG the village population has low access to even rudimentary health care; however, the use of bed nets impregnated with insecticides has been established as a simple and effective strategy for malaria control. Issue: This project sought to explore if and how an empowerment approach to community development could affect changes in malaria prevalence among remote members of the Kewapi language group in PNG. The ‘Batri Village Bed Net Initiative’ began in 2004 as a development of the Erima Empowerment Research Health Promotion Project. Members of the Kewapi language group living in urban Port Moresby raised concerns that their extended families in the remote village of Batri could not acquire bed nets to prevent malaria. The project empowered members of the Kewapi language group to take responsibility for the acquisition, distribution and effective use of 400 WHO approved bed nets in the Batri village, demonstrating good governance and project acquittal. This empowerment approach to community development involved dialogue with a range of stakeholders including village Elders and the British High Commission in PNG. The project has led to a significant decrease in the incidence malaria-related mortality and morbidity in the village. Lessons learned: Participatory planning was a key aspect of the success of this initiative. Using an empowerment approach, opportunities exist to extend the development of language-group networks in the cause of effective health promotion and disease prevention in remote PNG. [author abstract] [Rural and Remote Health: The International Electronic Journal of Rural and Remote Health Research, Education, Practice and Policy, 7: 693 (2007)]
• Epidemic malaria in the highlands of Papua New Guinea
  As part of a larger study into the epidemiology of malaria in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, outbreak investigations were carried out at the end of the 2002 rainy season in 11 villages situated between 1,400 and 1,700 meters above sea level that had reported epidemics. Locations and timing of these epidemics corresponded largely to those reported in the pre-control era of the 1960s and 1970s. On average, 28.8% (range = 10.3−63.2%) of people in each of the 11 villages were found to be infected with malaria. Plasmodium falciparum accounted for 59% of all identified infections and P. vivax for 34%. The majority (53%) of infections were symptomatic. Although symptomatic infections were most common in children 2−9 years of age (36%), even in adults a prevalence of 20% was observed. A comparison with earlier non-epidemic data in three of the villages without easy access to health care showed markedly increased levels of morbidity, with 6−10-fold increases in parasite prevalence, a 3-fold increase in both measured and reported fevers, and a 12-fold increase in enlarged spleens. The average hemoglobin levels were reduced by 2.3–3.5 g/dL, with a concurrent increase in moderate to severe anemia (hemoglobin level < 7.5 g/dL) from 0.0–3.3% to 3.8–18.4%. These massive increases in morbidity have devastating impact on the affected communities and highlight that malaria epidemics are a serious and increasing public health problem in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. [author abstract] [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 72(5), 2005, pp. 554–560]
• Impacts of HIV/AIDS 2005-2025 in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor: Final Report of the HIV Epidemiological Modelling and Impact Study
  "The HIV Epidemiological Modelling and Impact (HEMI) Study was commissioned by the Australian Government for the Governments of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Indonesia and East Timor. The research was conducted by New South Global Pty Limited in 2005. An epidemiological model was developed to project the future course of the HIV epidemic over the period 2005–2025 in PNG, Indonesia and EastTimor under three scenarios. ... Projections of HIV case numbers and deaths were used as a basis to estimate future social, economic and security impacts...".
• Iodine deficiency in Papua New Guinea (sub-clinical iodine deficiency and salt iodization in the highlands of Papua New Guinea)
  Data on the status about iodine nutrition in children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are scarce. This study attempts to determine the mean daily per capita consumption of salt, the iodine content of salt in the households and retail shops and the urinary iodine concentration in children (6–12 years) in Hella Region, Southern Highland Province (SHP), PNG. The mean daily consumption of salt was 2.62 ± 1.29 g. The iodine content of salt was >30 p.p.m. in 95 per cent of households and 100 per cent of retail shops. The median urinary iodine concentration of 48.0 mg/l for all the children indicates moderate iodine deficiency. The median urinary iodine concentrations for the male (67.0mg/l) and female (44.0mg/l) children indicate mild and moderate iodine deficiency, respectively. 68.42 per cent of the male and 81.82 per cent of the female children have urinary iodine concentration <100 mg/l, indicating that iodine deficiency is a potential public health problem in the Hella region. These results indicate a need for further assessment of the implementation of the universal salt iodization strategy for the elimination of iodine deficiency in the SHP, PNG. [author abstract] [ournal of Public Health Advance Access published November 25, 2004]
• Maternal mortality in Papua New Guinea
  Most Australian health professionals are aware that health indicators for Indigenous Australians are much worse than national averages. Indeed, there have been regular ABC televised programs on the subject during 2008. However, just north of Cape York Peninsula and literally only a few metres from Queensland, health issues are much worse than most Australian health professionals could even imagine. [publication summary] [O&G Magazine, Vol 11, No 1, Autumn 2009, pp.34-36]
• Men’s Extramarital Sexuality in Rural Papua New Guinea
  Married women in rural Papua New Guinea are at risk for HIV primarily because of their husbands’ extramarital relationships. Labor migration puts these men in social contexts that encourage infidelity. Moreover, many men do not view sexual fidelity as necessary for achieving a happy marriage, but they view drinking and “looking for women” as important for male friendships. Although fear of HIV infection is increasing, the concern that men most often articulated about the consequences of extramarital infidelity was possible violent retaliation for “stealing” another man’s wife. Therefore, divorced or separated women who exchange sex for money are considered to be “safe” partners. Interventions that promote fidelity will fail in the absence of a social and economic infrastructure that supports fidelity. [author abstract] [Am J Public Health, 2007; 97: 1006–1014]
• Nutrition Country Profiles – Papua New Guinea
  "According to surveys over the last 15 years, the nutritional status of children under five years in Papua New Guinea has not improved. In rural areas there is a high prevalence of underweight, a very high prevalence of stunting and a medium prevalence of wasting in children under five years. The prevalence of underweight and wasting was highest among infants at one year, while stunting affected more than half of the children at four years. A sub-national survey carried out among children under five years reported a lower prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting in urban areas. Children under five years living in the Highlands have a greater risk of stunting than their coastal counterparts. However, children living in the coastal regions are more likely to be wasted. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency in adults (greater than 18 years) in 1996 was 12% for women and 5% for men. Although there are no nationally representative data available, adults seem to be affected by overweight and obesity. According to a small scale survey, obesity is most prevalent in the urban coastal areas, and least prevalent in rural Highlands. This increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity is partly attributable to the adoption of a modern life-style." [FAO, July 2003]
• Papua New Guinea: country profile
  "Malaria is the leading cause of illness and death in Papua New Guinea. Areas of perennial, very high intensity transmission of P. falciparum malaria, such as are common in tropical Africa, are found throughout the country." [Roll Back Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation, 2005]
• Papua New Guinea: Country Profile
  "SPC country profiles document the nature and extent of the organisation’s services to individual members. The country profile presents basic country facts and a synopsis of Papua New Guinea’s development background and a narrative summary of the Secretariat’s assistance during the period 2008. Annexes include specific country activities and human resource development activities in 2008 and a financial summary of assistance provided from 2005 to 2008." [Secretariat of the Pacific Community, October 2008]
• Responding to HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea: Australia’s Strategy to Support Papua New Guinea, 2006–10
  "The escalating HIV/AIDS epidemic in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has reached a critical stage. It has passed the threshold of 1 per cent prevalence across the adult population and is therefore classified as a generalised epidemic, making PNG the fourth country in the Asia-Pacific region to have that classification. The potential human, social and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS pose a significant development challenge for PNG. In PNG, HIV is spread primarily through sexual activity. Key determinants of the epidemic include high rates of sexually transmitted infections, pervasive multiple partnering, widespread engagement in transactional sex and extensive sexual violence against women. Underlying social and institutional factors that are hampering the national response to the epidemic include insufficient leadership, a lack of coordination and surveillance capacity, gender inequality and deteriorating health services. The goal of Australia’s strategy to support PNG’s response to HIV/AIDS is to work with the Government of Papua New Guinea and other development partners to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country and to mitigate the effects of the disease on Papua New Guineans living with HIV/AIDS and their families, and on PNG society generally. The strategy’s objectives support each of the seven focus areas of the National Strategic Plan." [AusAID, April 2006]

Educational Resources

• Factsheet: PNG Forestry and Conservation Project 1999-2005