The World Health Organization in Papua New Guinea, in collaboration with the National Department of Health (NDoH) and the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority (WHPHA), trained 22 primary Health care workers on the Package of Essential Noncommunicable Diseases for Primary Health Care (PEN).
The training was held on 29 July to 1 August 2024 at Mt Hagen General Hospital. And sought to capacitate primary health care providers for the heightened delivery of essential services for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to individuals and communities in the province, as NCDs remain the leading cause of mortality in the Western Highlands Province.
PEN, developed by WHO and adopted by the NDoH, is a defined minimum set of interventions to address major NCDs in primary care. The interventions are for the detection, diagnosis, treatment and care (including appropriate referral) of cardiovascular diseases like diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and early-stage cancer at the primary care level. Interventions under PEN are deemed feasible even in low-resource settings and can be delivered by primary care physicians and non-physician health workers.
Primary care workers trained included medical officers, nurses, health extension officers, community health workers, training officers, and health promotion officers who manage and deliver health services in hospital wards and clinics, wellness clinics, district hospitals, health centers, and community health posts. And are familiarized with the clinical protocols and tools for delivering NCD services at the primary care level. The participants developed action plans for strengthening PEN implementation in their respective work settings.
Dr Josaia Tiko from WHO, a Senior Public Health Specialist, Healthier Populations and Noncommunicable Diseases, led the joint WHO-DOH Team for the PEN training and emphasized the urgency to manage NCDs and their risk factors to reduce premature deaths, in line with NCD-related goals under the PNG National Health Plan 2021-2030 and global commitment for attaining SDG target 3.4 (one third reduction in the premature deaths due to NCDs by 2030).
Dr. Tiko further expressed the commitment of WHO to support the PNG Government and provide technical assistance to NDoH for continuing capacity building and monitoring for PEN, and addressing NCDs in WHP and the rest of PNG.
Ms Vicky Wari from NDOH, a Technical Adviser on NCDs, and member of the training team emphasized the resolve of the national agency to prevent and control NCD, supporting Dr Cassius Maingu, Consultant Physician from Port Moresby General Hospital who emphasized the need to ensure quality of care by following the PEN clinical protocols in managing NCDs at the primary care level.
The WHPHA Governance Board through Dr Paulus Ripa, Board Member, and Ms Jane Holden, Acting Chief Executive Officer, expressed appreciation and support for the training provided, and commitment to accelerate operation and delivery of essential NCD services through the PEN in WHP. They stated their support for the implementation of the action plans developed by the training participants, in line with efforts on building a Healthy Western Highlands under the WHP Health Strategic Plan 2024-2028.