The launching of Family Support Centre Guidelines was officiated recently, in Port Moresby.
The event aims to develop a new strategy to deal withPNG’s high rates of family and sexual violence.
It also aims to engage stakeholders to produce an action plan of response through service delivery, to be implemented in 2014 and 2015.
The launching was officially opened by Deputy Secretary for National Health Services Standards, Dr Paison Dakulala, whilst core service providers such as,the National Health Department,the Office for Development for Womenthe Department of Justice,the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee, Medecine Sans FrontierePNG,the European Union and Australia’s Aid Department were present as well.
Paul Beockman, Head of Mission for Medecins Sans Frontieres said it was vital for all common parties to work togther.
Rates of family and sexual abuse in PNG are amongthe highestowith a recent UN study, finding that 1 in 5 women’s first experience of sex was through rape, and one third of men had been sexually abused as children.