Ambunti-Mersey, Paradise

Back in 2019 Canadian Aid funded Cold Chain Improvement Project for Catholic Church Health Services. The Project delivered four Solar Direct Drive Vaccine firdges with eight pieces of 1000w solar panels. This is the trip to Mersey Sub Health Center in Ambunti District. It was quit an adventure for the team. The installatoin team comprised of biomedical personnels from Cold Chain Systems, Wewak, local tour guide and skipper. The journey started off in Wewak at around 4pm. Arrived at Pagwi, Wosera Gawi District, around 8pm and then another 3 hours by boat in the night to Ambunti. Sepik River was flooded at the time and the river was infested with logs and debris from upstream. The trip from Ambunti to Mersey is an experience one cannot forget. The mountains and the river are home to some of the most magnificent wildlife. We stopped for fish along the way, birdwatching for awhile and then amazed ourselves with the view of the mountains and the lakes. The place itself is already naturally beautiful. We do not need logging or mining along the river. The river, forest and the people are connected and are interdependent. You take one away from this "triangle of beauty" and a paradise will be lost. Need I not explain this further. This part of sepik river is just one example of all other wonders this great river can offer. Cultural links are so tight to the forest and the river. Stories and tales are passed on from their ancestors down and people here adore and respect what their forefathers left behind for them. They appreciate and always welcome visitors from outside. From sunrise to sunset, this piece of paradise always has something to amaze you with.

Bogia Angoram Route

Though it can be risky at times,it is the shortest and affordable route to take if you wish to travel and experience the real beauty of the coastline. The waves along the coast of Kayan to Numbia provide perfect surfing paradise for amateur and professional surfers alike. The coast is lined with coconut and offers perfect water and nutrient supplements for wary travellers and visitors. The shoreline is dotted with protected reefs which is the home of diverse marine life. Manam Island is a beauty one could not resist to take a close look at. The locals are friendly people with strong barter system. For sago and buai you can afford a tasty fish meal. From Numbia beach, it's another one hour bumpy road under the coconut plantations to Bogia station. From there it's another three to four hours to Madang Town and the road is so perfectly sealed that the ride is always enjoyable, along the coast, over rivers and pass by smiling faces.

HIV AIDS - The Silent Pandemic

HIV AIDS is here to stay like any other diseases caused by viruses. It is a sad trend that not much attention these days is given curb this deadly virus.
Everyday there are positive cases reported at VCCT sites for treatment and everyday health facilities right around the nation is running low on ART drugs.
A person suffering from HIV AIDS must take his/her medicine everyday for the rest of their life. One day missed treatment and the virus multiplies, a week and all the ARTs taken earlier are just a waste.
The virus doesn't die, taking medicine everyday suppress its ability to spread, and so it goes away and sleep, not in the blood but in the organs and tissues and so there is less viral load in the blood stream.
An infected person on ART drugs consistently and faithfully for more than 3-5months, the virus in the blood is decreased so low that you can't even tell he/she is a person living with HIV AIDS. That person can still have sex or reproduce, the offspring or the sexual partner can still be tested negative.
The people reporting for testing and treatment is only the tip of the iceberg. Because of stigma and discrimination, less people are coming forward for VCCT services. More awareness and communication are needed to break that barrier. It is not a bad thing for a perfectly healthy person to go and check their HIV status. The good thing is you know your HIV status so that you don't spread it and you are on treatment to keep you live longer.
The onset of the symptoms doesn't show so soon if you get the virus. It can be 3yrs or up to 10yrs the maximum before the symptoms show. For someone without a compromised immune system, the symptoms can take longer than 10yrs to show, while not on medicine, he/she can spread it to so many people unknowingly.
HIV has been around in PNG for almost 2 decades, how much people know about prevention method, the high risk group, the infection itself, support services, methods of contraction and transmission is still a big question.
The message here is, HIV AIDS is here to stay and will continue to kill and destroy lives. Seek information from your nearest health care provider and share it amongst your peers, your work groups, sports team, your family, your children and don't discriminate because HIV AIDS does not discriminate.

Nurses of Catholic Health Services, East Sepik, with Dr.Millan after a day's session on HIV AIDS and STIs

The sun should never set twice on a mother in labour

Maternal and New Born Care Training
A second batch of 12 health workers attending two weeks training on Maternal and new Born Care Training graduated with certificates on 9/8/2019. The content of the training covers significant topics such as;

• Family Planning 
• Antenatal Care
• Problems in Antenatal Care
• Care in Normal Labour and Birth
• Obstetric Emergencies
• Essential New Born Care

The training was made possible in partnership with East Sepik Provincial Health Authority(ESPHA) and Global Health Western Australia. The training is a product of a visit by Living Child Inc who visited Angoram District back in 2012 and identified the burden of women giving birth in isolation and least attended by specialised health workers.
The training comprised of one-week theory and one week practical at Wewak General Hospital, Maternal and Antenatal Wards which allows the health workers to demonstrate the theory part and competencies.
The health workers did role plays as well to illustrate the burden faced by pregnant women who have difficulties reaching health facilities where they can undergo supervised births and economic, social and customs which play as a barrier to access better maternal and child health care.
A total of 24 health workers from all over six districts attended the training. They come from Christian health services and ESPHA in the province. They are selected from health facilities serving in remote places of East Sepik and from vicinity of Wewak Town close to urban disadvantaged mothers/women. They come as Nursing Officer, Midwives and Community Health Workers.
The objective of the training is to upskill the current knowledge of the health workers with essential updated knowledge on how to identify, treat and manage complications related to maternal and new born care. The expected outcome of the training is to minimise maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates
Speaking to a trainee, Nursing Officer, Nathan Suai of Catholic Health Services, he expressed his views and said that he was privileged to attend that training and added that what he learnt in nursing college is not enough as compared to the updated knowledge in the field of maternal and child health care. He further stated that with the increased in knowledge he can perform his nursing duties competently and effectively. The key message he got from the training is “The sun should never set twice on a mother who is in labour”.
Sr. Linda Tano, a Midwife from Angoram District Hospital who contributed to the successful staging of the one-month training said that such training is vital for all health workers and is long overdue. Such training has imparted the cutting edge knowledge in maternal and child health to the participants and she expects all the trainees to be instrumental in making change to bring about less maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. She went further and said that all other health programs such as immunization and family planning are closely associated with maternal and new born care and would be pleased to see all these working effectively for long lasting better change in maternal and new born care.

Training facilitator demonstrating to the trainees how to use the vital observation kit

One crucial need identified by the participants is the referral pathways for the labour mothers. Labour mothers when referred to higher level of health care faced difficulties trying to return home because they have financial problems.
The participants were presented with certificates of attendance and vital observation tool kit to help them perform their nursing duties well.

Participants with the training facilitators and CEO for ESPHA, Mr.Mark Malulu

Sustainable work practice - Green workplace

Sustainable work practice as defined by Marshall. P, 2012 means to use resources provided by the environment wisely and at an acceptable rate to meet the workplace needs at present without compromising the ability of the environment to provide for the needs of the future generations.
In other words it means people make efficient use of the available earth’s resources at present and conserve/preserve some for the future generations to enjoy.
The consumption of natural resources is growing rapidly as people’s demand for a life of comfort and technology increases.
Simple sustainable work practices that can be practiced to minimise consumption of earth’s resources at the work place can be controlling the use of water and electricity, use recycle papers/materials and cut down on unnecessary staff travel.
It is undeniable that some earth’s resources are non-renewable; that is, when they are completely used up they cannot replenish themselves. They are completely used up in processes such as;
a) Land clearing for farming, residential and industrial buildings
b) Trees cut for their timber and paper
c) Mines for minerals, fuel, oil and gas
d) Man-made chemicals to enhance productivity.
            Until recently organizations realise how much they have destroyed the environment by excessively consuming the earth’s resources and the impact they have on the environment that they develop policies like green workplace.
The aim of green workplace is to scale down on their demand and use of earth’s resources by using environmentally friendly work practices. An example is the Recycle, Reuse and Reduce Cycle and Bank South Pacific (BSP) “Go Green” Policy They develop simple procedures like reducing energy by turning off lights, computers or water taps if not in use, put boxes to collect papers to be recycled and using reusable cups for coffee rather than disposable ones (Bianchi, S. 2016)

Climate Change and changes in Papua New Guinea

 

 

Climate Change also known as Global Warming refers to the rise in average temperature of the Earth’s surface.

Primary cause of Climate Change is the burning of fossil fuels. Other causes are the human activities such as deforestation and agriculture. These activities release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

When more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere than the earth’s ability to consume in process such as photosynthesis (plant food), excess carbon dioxide are gathered in the atmosphere. They then trap the heat from sun when reflected by the earth’s surface. When more heat is trapped, the earth’s temperature rises, causing Climate Change/Global Warming. The following image illustrate the process of Climate Change.

Image of Global Warming, 2012

Effects of Climate Change seen around the world are rise in sea level when ice at the Arctic and Antarctic melt, severe weather events such as monsoon, droughts and bushfires. (Takepart, 2017)

The effects of Climate Change are also felt in Papua New Guinea. The common ones are;

Ø  Rise in sea level

Ø  Unpredicted weather patterns

Ø  Food crops failures and success

 

1)      Rise in sea level

Rise in sea level is common along the coastal areas around PNG. Kang. S and Ajaja. I from UNESCO reported that in 2015, coastal areas which experienced and reported a rise in sea level are Madang, Manus, Morobe, and Mortlock Islands, Carteret and Tinputz areas of Bougainville.

Add caption

 

Rising sea level, Manus

 

1)      Unpredicted Weather Patterns

PNG people normally count from November to March as wet season and from April October as dry season (Kang. S & Ajaja. I, 2015a). However this has changed. Morobe province is experiencing a lot of rain while Eastern Highlands and Simbu Province where experiencing dry season and it is wet season in Western Highlands as reported in 2015.  

2)      Food crops failure and successes

Increase atmospheric carbon will benefit crops that are C₄ convertors (C₄, a carbon compound) such as maize and sugar canes and not C₃ convertors such as wheat and rice. Heavy rainfall will increase coffee and palm oil production (Hansen B., 2013a)

Impacts of Climate Change in PNG

1.      Rising sea level

Already the people along the coastal areas of PNG are losing their fishing grounds. Fish escaped into the open sea or migrated away. Food gardens and shelters are under water now. They are calling on the government to relocate them

2.      Unpredicted weather patterns

Unpredicted weather patterns drought expected wet and dry seasons which affect food production for consumption and sale. Cash crop production is also affected, likewise animal husbandry which then affect the supply and demand dynamics for finished products. Heavy rainfall causes floods and destroy lives of people along river banks. Heavy rainfall also brought disease outbreaks like malaria, diarrhoea, flu and cough. (Hansen B., 2013b)

  

3.      Food crops failures and successes

 

 

High atmospheric carbon content is good for some food crops and not others. So it affects human food preferences and the supply and demand dynamics for food consumption.

Community awareness and mobilisation

A recent Climate Change Campaign conducted by UNDP and the Office of Climate Change and Development in 2014 resolved that PNG is being caught by effects of Climate Change by surprise. Not many people know about the expected effects and impacts of Climate Change, lack knowledge on how to effectively deal with the effects and impacts of Climate Change and the importance of conservation to minimise the impacts of Climate Change.

As their community initiative, UNDP educate people on the importance of mangroves and asked them to plant more and look after mangroves. The campaign aims to cover selected coastal ports of PNG (UNDP in PNG, 2014)

 

Government Initiative

April 2015 PNG Government created a Ministry of Climate Change and is slowly putting together processes and procedures to establish office bearers, develop policies and target indicators and activity plans to effectively educate people on the effects and impacts of Climate Change.

Environmental Acts and Climate Change Policies have been developed to govern the actions of everyone in response to Climate Change (Kang. S & Ajaja. I, 2015b)

A new Climate Compatible Development Policy 2013-2015 was development as well. Among its key priorities, following are some areas of focus for the plan (Forestry and Development, 2013);

Ø  Increase investment in carbon offsetting activities

Ø  A robust information system for Climate Change activities

Ø  Enhancing resilience of vulnerable communities to the risks of Climate Change

Ø  Invest in low carbon infrastructure and green technology

 

 

 

 





 

 

YWAM Medical Ship visits East Sepik Province.

Youth With A Mision (YWAM) Medical Ship, MV Pacific Link, visited East Sepik Province after six months in Madang Province. The crew comprises of doctors, students and the captain and his cabin crew. They were received into by East Sepik Governor, Honorable Sir Michael Somare, Lady Veronica Somare and the people of East Sepik Province on the 13^th of September 2016.

East Sepik Governor Rt.Hon.Sir Michael Somare and Lady Veronica Somare guided on tour of the ship

 

Their arrival was timely as the province is preparing to celebrate 41^st Independent Anniversary and is noted as a blessing for the province and signifies a memorable time in the history of Papua New Guinea when early missionaries came unto the shores on PNG not only to spread the gospel but to teach and heal people.

YWAM is a Non – Government Christian Organization which was started in Colorado and has extended its services to Papua New Guinea with personnel working in Southern and Northern Regions of Papua New Guinea.

Staff of YWAM Medical Ship, MV Pacific Link

 

They will be in East Sepik for another six months providing health care services free of charge to the people before heading to Sandaun/West Sepik Province.

During their stay they will work alongside Boram General Hospital and the nurses from remote health facilities as they go about visiting Wewak Islands and the Sepik River. Previous six months in Madang Province they saw a total of 48 000 health cases which is equivalent to a cost of K4.86 million and they expect a much higher demand for health care services by the people of ESP

They get their support from businesses, individuals, hospitals and from interest Provincial Governments and so far supports have been great.

So far existing reputable Christian NGOs working alongside East Sepik Provincial Administration to provide health care services and other relevant matters of development are Samaritan Aviation, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), New Tribes, Christian Books Melanesia (CBM) and Churches Health Services.   

Welcome dances by the people of East Sepik Province, Top and bottom

 

Kunjingini Health Sub Center receives new Ambulance

Kunjingini Health Sub Center in South Wosera Local Level Government was fortunate to be given another ambulance to continue providing essential health care services. Kunjingini HSC is one of the 21 health facilities managed by Catholic Church Health Services, East Sepik Province.

New Ambulance

 

Upon receiving the ambulance on the 26^th July 2016, Nursing Officer in Charge of Kunjingini HSC, Leona Wamasimbi thanked the Diocesan Health Secretary, Sr. Celine Yakasere and said the ambulance will greatly assist in doing Outreach Clinics, Maternal and Child Health Programs and do referrals of severe cases. We have been receiving an influx of patients as far as Torembi, Chambri, Korogu, Burui, North Wosera and Maprik as well. These people come from beyond our catchment area because we continue to open doors and provide the quality of health care they need. They timely delivery of the new ambulance will really boost our work.

The current ambulance they are using is 12 years old. It was donated by Save the Children Health Project in 2004.

Old Ambulance

 

Sr. Celine Yakasere thanked the people of South Wosera for looking after the services and said that the new ambulance will strictly be used for its intended purposes and there should be no smoking or chewing in the ambulance at all times. She said she is aware of the increasing demand of quality health care but she cannot attend to all at once, all I can do is do my best.

Village Health Volunteers; Bridging the gaps in Health Service disparities

VHV Program was introduced by Safe The Children Health Project in and is implemented using the network of Churches Health Services and Government Health Services in East Sepik Province.

The purpose of introducing this program is to bridge the gap between health facility and the people who are scattered all over the remote parts of ESP. The idea is to ensure local men or women are readily available in the village to attend to basic health care needs of the people. Local men and women are trained before they practice.

Voluntary efforts committed by these men and women have significantly contributed towards achieving universal access to health care by all people.  The turnout of this program considerably helped in many ways. Few notable achievements would be, people do not have to travel long distances to reach the nearest health facility for medical treatment, number of people queuing up at the Out Patient at selected health facility has decreased and workload for staff has reduced greatly.

Furthermore, these VHVs are also trained as Community Based Distributors of Mala 1 (CBDs) under Home Based Management of Malaria (HMM) Program. This greatly extend the campaign of new malaria treatment regime to all people and is easily accessed by all people in the villages.

CCHS has a two Field Monitors who oversee the work of VHVs, CBDs and HMM. At selected health facilities, there are nursing officers who are trained as Supervisors who do routing checks on the program, collect reports, supply medicines and report back to the Field Monitors about the progress of the program.   

Under CCHS ESP along, a total of 13 health facilities implement the program, with more than 800 villages accessing help from VHVs right across six districts of ESP. Altogether there are 742 VHV. 53 have become inactive while 5 died.

The challenge is they are working as volunteers and campaigns have been made for the people, Local Level Government and private individuals to support their work.  

Catholic Church Health Services VHV Field Monitor

A VHV Supervisor with a VHV during supervisory visits

VHVs celebrating VHV Day at Kunjingini Health Sub Center, South Wosera LLG

Samaritan Aviation: 390 lives saved, delivering 100 000 medical supplies, more than 300 hours of flight in 117 emergency flights

Samaritan Aviation operates the only floatplane in Papua New Guinea, serving those living in East Sepik Province through emergency evacuation flights, medicine delivery, disaster relief and community health program.

Mark Palm, Samaritan Aviation Director and pilot visited the area when he was 19 and saw the medical and spiritual of the people. He realized that a floatplane would provide access to those areas.

He returned to United States and to school, eventually earned a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and floatplane rating as well as aircraft mechanic certificate.

In 2000, Samaritan Aviation started as a non-profit Aviation Hospital Ministry and began raising awareness for its mission. Ten years later, he achieved his dream and in 2010 Mark Palm, his wife and three children came to Wewak to begin their flight operations with only one floatplane.

To date, Samaritan Aviation has delivered more than 100, 000 medical supplies and saved 390 lives, 60% of which are babies and mothers by flying more than 300 hours in 117 emergency flights.

A second floatplane has arrived in Wewak from United States and they are assembling it for its maiden flight in a later date. “This will ensure that a plane is always available if the other plane encounter mechanic problem,” said Mark Palm.

Currently 50% of their funding comes from PNG Government the other 50% from private individuals and foundations in USA.

Their team is s

New Pilot Family

Emergency flights along Sepik River Villages

lowly growing in size. In 2014, a new pilot family joined Samaritan Aviation, John and Carrie Smith and their family. John is a pilot as well as an aircraft mechanic. Both will be involved in Samaritan Aviation Hospital Ministry and Community Health Evangelism (CHE) Program. Another family, Forrest and Marlene Williamsons with their two children will depart US for Wewak next September to join the team. Forrest is a pilot as well while his wife is a nurse.

Emergency flight delivering a patient at Boram Airport, Wewak