Papua New Guinea (PNG) ranks 157th out of 187 countries on the United Nations (UN) Human Development Index, with extremely high under-5 mortality (5.4% of children will die before the age of 5). In 2013, ExxonMobil PNG (EMPNG) facilitated a public/private partnership (PPP) to improve healthcare education at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) and clinical management in child health at Port Moresby General Hospital and other PNG facilities, as well as strengthen public health capacity. The complete paper reviews the aspects and results of this program.
Introduction
PNG is one of the more diverse countries in the world, geographically, biologically, linguistically, and culturally. Communicable diseases are a recognized problem in PNG, with pneumonia, diarrhea, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, newborn infections, and other communicable diseases being responsible for 62% of deaths nationwide. Malnutrition remains a significant contributor to morbidity, mortality, and national economic loss.
