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Brief Introduction of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is located in the South Pacific region and has the largest land area in the region, which is approximately 462,840 square kilometers, that is twelve times the size of Taiwan. According to the World Bank Open Data in 2021, the population of PNG is about 9,163,680. The life expectancy at birth for males is 64.7 years and 69.2 years for females. Among the 189 countries listed in the UN’s 2020 Human Development Report, PNG was ranked number 155. Even though PNG has become independent for more than 30 years, it is still a less-developed country.
Papua New Guinea is divided into 22 administrative divisions, including the National Capital District (NCD) and two autonomous regions. PNG has various tribes and more than 820 languages due to geographic and social contexts. The official languages are English, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu. Papua New Guinea has a tropical climate with dry and rainy seasons. The dominant religions are Christianity and Catholic Church.
Due to climate and geographic features, PNG possesses distinct biodiversity and abundant natural resources, such as woods, coffee beans, rubber trees and marine products. The glamorous bird of paradise, the national bird of PNG, is the most eye-catching species. Groups of bird watchers often gather to PNG to peek at this marvelous creature.
The major health problems in PNG relate to the lifestyle and diet of the people. The diet consists mainly of starches and meats, whereas the vegetable consumption is insufficient, resulting in an unbalanced diet and underweight children. Also, the number of people suffered from cancers has been increasing. The top three cancers are cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and breast cancer. It is also known that chewing betel nut is a habit of the PNG people, which increases the risk of oral cancer.
According to an WHO report, the challenges of the healthcare system in PNG include low standard of care for patients, unhealthy work environment and workflow, inadequate facilities and equipment, inappropriate distribution of healthcare staff, and limited specialty training to meet the needs. Knowing that short-term medical services cannot solve the problem and it requires long-term cooperation to build the capacity, Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH) has dispatched medical teams to exchange techniques and train medical personnel in PNG, along with building the capacity for their hospitals, to improve the quality of health care.
Program Highlights
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is located in the South Pacific region and is one of the most important friendly allies of Taiwan in the region. Since 2006, Taiwan has carried out medical cooperation programs in PNG, in which Changhua Christian Hospital was responsible for the Program. CCH has dispatched medical teams every year and organized short-term clinical training programs for PNG medical personnel.
From 2010 to 2015, CCH dispatched medical teams to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae, the second largest city of PNG, every year. The teams focused on ophthalmology services, especially training the medical personnel with cataract surgery techniques. By the end of 2013, more than 2,000 patients had been treated. In 2014 and 2015, the CCH cancer care teams were dispatched to raise the awareness of cancer prevention in PNG through experience sharing with local medical personnel and students.
Changhua Christian Hospital also sent medical teams to East New Britain Province in 2016 and established a sister hospital relationship with the Nonga General Hospital (now merging into the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority) in 2017. In response to the Global Surgery Advocacy supported by the WHA, the team was composed of surgeons, anesthesiologists and operating room nurses to exchange clinical experiences with PNG medical personnel. Dietitians were also dispatched and worked with the Frangipani Friendly Clinic, the diabetes education center of the Nonga General Hospital, to promote healthy diet and lifestyle through health education workshops.
To improve healthcare quality and build hospital capacity, CCH has also organized donations, including medical beds, hospital trolleys and surgical supplies to Angau Memorial Hospital, Nonga General Hospital and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant impact on international medical cooperation—the closing of the borders and the anti-COVID-19 policies have restricted overseas activities. Therefore, CCH has organized a series of webinars on the response to COVID-19 in Taiwan with smart healthcare technologies, as well as online courses in different topics, such as diabetes care, pulmonary care and cardiovascular care, to continue trainings for the medical staff in Papua New Guinea. Furthermore, in July and August 2021, CCH co-hosted two online seminars on diabetes care and management of kidney stones with Port Moresby General Hospital to exchange experiences.