Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

110810_MR_Australian midwives to support Maternal Health in PNG

For immediate release

10 August 2011

Australian Midwives to support 'Maternal Health' in PNG

Eight midwifery facilitators from Australia and New Zealand have arrived in Papua New Guinea to assist the country to improve its maternal health services.

Australia will provide nearly K30 million to this broad program of support over two and a half years which will improve the quality of midwifery education and support maternal health outcomes in family planning, supervised deliveries and emergency obstetrician care.

The facilitators have extensive experience in midwifery, teaching and facilitation skills and will be placed at the University of Papua New Guinea, Pacific Adventist University, University of Goroka and Lutheran School of Nursing.

They will also be working with staff at the provincial hospitals in Port Moresby, Goroka and Madang during their placements.

Ann Yates, Alison Moores, Carolyn Hastie, Lois Berry, Tarryn Sharp, Glenda Geeson, Heather Gulliver and Marie Treloar will begin their program on August 15, after a two-week orientation in Port Moresby. As part of their orientation, the facilitators will be introduced to PNG health systems, maternal and child health policies, practices and midwifery education and practice. They will also be meeting maternal and child experts from PNG and undertaking clinical placements at Port Moresby General Hospital.

“Carolyn Hastie said she saw her role as one of mentoring and supporting. “My role will be to work side by side with the staff at PAU sharing my knowledge and experience to assist with the integration of contemporary midwifery theoretical understanding and clinical practice research. The project's aim is to improve not only the standard of midwifery education, but also the standard of midwifery practice in PNG,” said Ms Hastie.

Carolyn, from New South Wales is a registered nurse and midwife with 40 years experience and professional qualifications in Reproductive & Sexual Health, Workplace Training & Assessment, Teaching and Primary Health Care.

With a Masters of Philosophy in Midwifery Research, Carolyn will be supporting midwives and academics of PNG to raise the status and profile of midwifery in the country.

Head of AusAID in PNG, Stephanie Copus-Campbell said PNG has the highest maternal mortality in the Pacific and as a result, Australia has committed to work with the PNG government to improve maternal health outcomes in PNG with this program being a practical example of that support.

“A woman in PNG is 80 times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than a woman in Australia. This training program will lead to enhanced skills amongst graduates to provide quality services to the community,” Ms Copus-Campbell said.

“An important outcome of this program will be better health care and services for pregnant women, babies and children. It will add to work already being supported by Australia and PNG in training more skilled birth attendants and better training for midwives and health workers in recognising pregnancy complications.”

This is the first component of AusAID’s expanded program of direct support to Maternal Health. AusAID will also be supporting the recruitment of two Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialists who will be supporting clinical placements and specialist training of medical doctors in PNG.

In 2009 AusAID also supported the revision of education curriculum for midwives in PNG and it continues to provide funding to train health workers in essential and emergency obstetric care.

Australia is committed to working with the PNG Government to improve maternal health in PNG through training more midwives, building new health posts and refurbishing more rural health centres and reforming the medical supply system.