The Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Department of Health (NdoH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have officially launched the PNG – WHO Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) for 2024 to 2028.
“The government of Papua New Guinea recognises WHO's contribution to the country and reaffirms its commitment to continue to support WHO strategies and all partners in the health sector” said Hon Elias Kapavore, PNG Minister of Health.
The PNG-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy aims to address complex health challenges in Papua New Guinea and align with the PNG Vision 2050 and the National Health Plan 2021-2030 by prioritising four key strategic areas designed to improve health outcomes across the country.
- Resilient Systems for Health: Focusing on enhancing the resilience of health systems to ensure they can provide quality services consistently. It includes initiatives to improve infrastructure, workforce capacity, and health information systems.
- Healthier Populations and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): Aiming to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health. It also seeks to enhance immunisation coverage and address the growing burden of NCDs.
- Integrated Health Services Delivery targeted to high-priority diseases: Targeting high-priority diseases, including neglected tropical diseases, mental health conditions, and communicable diseases. The goal is to provide comprehensive and integrated health services to manage and control these conditions effectively.
- Health Security: Strengthening preparedness and response to health emergencies. This includes improving surveillance systems, emergency response capabilities, and overall health security measures to protect the population from potential health threats.
WHO and NdoH are committed to working together to harness resources effectively and deliver on key strategic priorities as PNG continues to navigate its health challenges.
The CCS 2024-2028 represents a significant step forward in building a healthier and more resilient Papua New Guinea.