Author Archives: Andrew McNee

About 12 months ago, Mr Wep Kanawi (Director of the PNG National AIDS Council) told a story about health in Papua New Guinea.  He was talking to a symposium at Deakin University on the present and future of PNG (see here). His story however was as much about the past, as it was about the future. His story intersected the lived experience of three people.  His mother, who had lived […] Continue reading →

A recent report from the Burnet Institute, Compass and World Vision argues for a significant expansion of the PNG Village Health Volunteer (VHV) program (a form of family and community care) to deliver a range of cost-effective interventions to improve the parlous state of maternal and child health in Papua New Guinea.  The report claims that full coverage of family and community care in PNG could prevent up to 32% of maternal deaths, 70% of newborn deaths, and 50% of child deaths. Underpinning this claim […] Continue reading →