By Theckla Gunga – EMTV News,Port Moresby
The state has given K100, 000 to a malaria fighting organisation, the PNG Industry Malaria Initiative, to fight malaria in Papua New Guinea.
Planning and Monitoring Department’s Acting Secretary, Hakaua Harry, when presenting the cheque, said the move to partner with PIMI is to ensure the government’s health agendas are delivered through a public private partnership.
This is the first time the state has come on board to finance the work of PIMI in PNG.
Malaria cases in Papua New Guinea have decreased in the last five years, due to increased awareness and malaria campaigns conducted by various organisations across malaria-prone provinces like East Sepik and Gulf.
Today, the cases have dropped from over 60 per cent to under two per cent.
But secretary Harry said, the state is aiming to further reduce that two to zero per cent.
The state’s involvement in the fight against malaria is to reach the goals it set in the population policy that was recently launched by Planning and Monitoring Minister, Charles Abel.
The policy focused on human development, an objective PIMI is also targeting.
PIMI has worked mostly in major resource communities like the mining, agriculture and energy sectors fighting and educating people on malaria prevention techniques for the last two years.
And with the financial support it received today, PIMI plans on working with provincial health authorities to fight malaria in each province.
Other engagements the planning and monitoring department has engaged into include a partnership with Marie Stopes in carrying forward the population policy, and also assisting the Medical Ship YWAM to bring health services into remote areas.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uk6T53ujdx8%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
