Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

26/03/2021

Some of Our Melb based team have already been vaccinated 🎉 🙌🏾
Our team is continuing work to spread the facts:

👉🏾 🦠in 🇵🇬 is real & spreading fast 📈
👉🏾 All People can protect themselves and family by
👉🏾 🧼 washing hands 🖐🏾🤚🏾
👉🏾 😷 wearing a mask
👉🏾🧍🏽‍♀️ ⬅️ distance ➡️🧍🏾

16/03/2021

“We’ve already seen a catastrophe with the crisis in PNG. It’s health care system can’t support rising cases with just 1 doctor per 20,000 people,” Burnet’s Dr Suman Majumdar told Channel 7’s Mike Usher on The Latest.

As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates in Papua New Guinea, there are new calls for the Australian Government to Act immediately. Subscribe to 7NEWS for the late...

15/03/2021

A COVID-19 crisis is now unfolding with alarming speed in Papua New Guinea and the response must quickly match it, urges Burnet's Professors Brendan Crabb and Leanne Robinson.

Writing in The Conversation, they call on a PNG-led response supported by Australia. More https://burnet.edu.au/news/1393.

What action is needed?
1st - the response needs to be requested by — and, more importantly, led by — PNG itself.
2nd - the response needs to reflect the urgency and scale of the unfolding emergency.

This “emergency package” could conceivably involve:
- immediate provision of masks in the community, appropriate PPE for health-care workers and increased support for widespread testing
- a campaign to counter COVID-19 misinformation, which is rampant
- a significant ramp-up of vaccination across PNG, with an ambitious target — perhaps a million doses before the end of the year, aimed at the most at-risk groups.

Australia is currently playing a crucial role in contributing generously to the COVAX vaccine access facility and to a AUD$500 million fund to support COVID vaccination in PNG and the wider Pacific.

However, these plans were developed on the basis there was substantially more time for planning, deployment and phased rollout than the current case numbers would suggest.

A catastrophe looms with PNG’s COVID crisis. Australia needs to respond urgently. More at https://burnet.edu.au/.../1393_a_catastrophe_looms_with...

04/03/2021

Vale: Dr Paison Dakulala, a close friend and colleague

The Burnet Institute community is deeply saddened to hear of the death of one of PNG’s leading health authorities and campaigner for those most at risk.

As one of the country’s leading health authorities for many years, Dr Dakulala played an enormous role in improving the health of the people of Papua New Guinea, and was an inspirational leader and teacher for many health care workers both in PNG and internationally.

It is no exaggeration to say that Dr Dakulala dedicated his life to serving his country; he was a servant to the nation in the truest sense. Despite his scholarly and administrative brilliance, he was a thoroughly humble, honourable and decent man, but also a fearless and passionate campaigner for improving the health of every Papua New Guinean, including those most marginalised and at risk. He worked tirelessly to address many of the health challenges faced by communities in PNG, especially women and children.

His untimely death is a profound shock. Quite simply, not just in PNG but in any jurisdiction, Dr Dakulala will be greatly missed. PNG and all its close friends will deeply feel this loss for years to come. Our thoughts are with Judith and family and all those closest to him.

More at burnet.edu.au/news/1388.

11/03/2020

The World Health Organization has declared the global crisis as a pandemic. The WHO's Director General says in last two weeks the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold. More https://who.int/dg/speeches.

15/12/2019

Shockingly, one in seven babies in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is born with a low birth weight. Many are too weak to fight infection. Those that survive often have a shorter life expectancy.

Please GIVE TODAY to help fund crucial research through our Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies project into the causes of low birth weight in PNG, leading to interventions that will save the lives of many babies.

Visit burnet.edu.au/appeals/56 to give or find out more.

09/08/2019

Life-saving and support for services and outcomes in further strengthened with a new MoU signed with the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority. Dr Stenard Hiasihri pictured with ENBPHA Chair, Sir Ronald ToVue. More at burnet.edu.au/news/1131.

11/07/2019

Thank you 🙏 to Dr Bieb, Dr Waramin for supporting to improve ! Our partnership brings a wonderful team together working to save lives & improve

10/07/2019

Congratulations Dr Delly Babona 👏🎉 (O&G specialist from ENB & a Principle Investigator on our study) on receiving your Associate Member certificate last night!