WHO boosts support to maternal and child health program in PNG; provides life-saving equipment for mothers and newborns

9 July 2020, Port Moresby. In the efforts to prevent death of women and newborns during childbirth, the World Health Organization (WHO) is scaling up assistance to Papua New Guinea by bringing health services closer to people. WHO supports the strengthening of the health system from the ground up through partnerships, technical collaboration and provision of life-saving medical equipment to accelerate improved outcomes and quality of care.

On 30 June 2020, the Enga Provincial Health Authority in Enga province received maternal and neonatal health equipment that include delivery beds and kits, sterilizers, solar lights, head torches, newborn resuscitators and training models for early essential newborn care and emergency obstetric care.  Madang, Milne Bay and West Sepik were the other provinces that received the essential equipment in January 2020.

“These are essential equipment to ensure that women in Enga Province can deliver their babies in a professional, safe and clean environment, and enjoy access to critical care after the birth,” said Mr Aaron Luai, Chief Executive Officer for Enga Provincial Health Authority (PHA). 

The Governor for Enga Province, Hon. Chief Sir Peter Ipatas, who was present during the hand-over, thanked WHO and the National Department of Health (NDOH) for their continuous support toward healthcare in Enga. “Helt em i praioriti bilong yumi olgeta (Health should be everyone’s priority),” he said. He commended the Enga PHA management, their staff, and all nurses and midwives for their work in ensuring essential services reach women and newborns in the province.

“WHO i luksave long gutpela wok yumi wokim, na dispela ol samting i kamap (WHO has acknowledged your hard work by giving us these equipment to help our mothers and newborns during childbirth),” said the Governor Ipatas. 

The ceremony was also attended by NDOH representative Dr Edward Waramin; Enga Provincial Administrator Dr Samson Amean; WHO Technical Officers Dr Madeline Salva, Ms Jessica Yaipupu and Ms Daphne Ian-Ghabu, and nurses and midwives from the province.

Papua New Guinea has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Western Pacific region with two women and twenty newborns dying per 1000 live births based on the 2016-2018 Demographic and Health Survey.

“This number is unacceptably high,” says WHO Country Representative, Dr Luo Dapeng. “Although progress has been made in PNG’s maternal health statistics, too many women continue to die during childbirth,” he said from Port Moresby. 

Dr Luo said that with the essential resources, skilled workforce and political leadership, many of these deaths can be prevented. “Families must also make it their priority to ensure that pregnant women continue their ante-natal and post-natal checks, even in the midst of COVID-19 – this is very important to allow health care workers to check for any early warning signs and treat any concerns,” he said. Currently, only forty percent of women deliver their babies at a health facility supervised by a skilled health worker.