by Colleen Barilae – EM TV News, Lae
The Nawaeb District in Morobe Province is refocusing its district plans on primary health care.
The district authority has supported 23 volunteers through its district health care programs., and Nawaeb MP, Gisuwat Siniwin, said the health standards in the communities have improved following the establishment of the rural-based health care programs.
“We have improved a lot, [especially] when that subsidy of K1 million was given to the health sector, and then it was increased to K2 million,” Siniwin said.
Nawaeb District is located in the hinterlands of Morobe province, along the Sarawageange.
And like other rural areas in the country, the Nawaeb people have to walk longer distances to get basic health services.
Last week, the Nawaeb people, had a reason to celebrate. After many years, the district is slowly beginning to see changes in its age-old health problems.
The district authority has supported the work of 23 volunteers in their primary health care advocacy into village households.
The concept of this rural-based health care program is centered around equipping local people as health promoters and volunteers in their own communities.
Nawaeb District Health Manager, Justin Biuming, is heading the team of trainers at the villages.
“The VBA is one of the primary health care projects, we train almost 95 per cent of our villagers including mothers, in the village we have two VBAs and one health promoter,” Biuming said.
The district has supported the villagers with more than K1 million to carry on the village health care program.
The funding will go towards the construction of staff houses near the health centre.
And for the Nawaeb people, they say they want to set an example for other rural districts in the country to see and follow.
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