Help for Carers and Cancer Patients - PNG

29/09/2025

Behind every little warrior is a carer carrying silent battles😔. This challenge is not just ours as an NGO but it’s theirs too. Let’s uplift, support, and honor them 💛🙏

28/09/2025

A Superheroes Retreat was organized yesterday in partnership with Port Moresby General Hospital and PMGH Childhood Cancer Fund. 💁‍♀️The event gave our little warriors and their carers a chance to take a break, connect, and feel supported outside the hospital setting❤️ A big thank you Emtv Studio for covering this special day 🙏

28/09/2025

A Superheroes Retreat was organized yesterday in partnership with Port Moresby General Hospital and PMGH Childhood Cancer Fund. 💁‍♀️The event gave our little warriors and their carers a chance to take a break, connect, and feel supported outside the hospital setting❤️ A big thank you Emtv Studio for covering this special day 🙏

23/08/2025

These are all preventable cancers and within your control! Know the risk factors and protect yourself. Get checked if something appears abnormal on your body...such as a painless lump, abnormal bleeding, weight loss, abnormal discharge/smell, loss of appetite etc...knowledge is power!

Tongue Cancer is one of the most common leading Cancer for both Gender in PNG according to the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry at ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital, Morobe Provincial Health Authority, Papua New Guinea National Department of Health.

21/08/2025

We believe that treatment is only one side of the story. The other side is care, dignity, and compassion. Together, with donors and partners, Help for Carers and Cancer Patients - PNG are building a network of support where families feel seen, patients feel valued, and carers know they are not alone.
Because in the fight against cancer, no one should be left behind☝️👍🙏

PaNGONA Insight
By Peter Fore, RN – President, PaNGONA

When most people think of cancer, they picture the visible signs—hair loss, weight loss, or patients receiving chemotherapy in busy hospital wards. But what many don’t see are the hidden realities that patients and families in Papua New Guinea face every single day.

Cancer is not just a disease of the body. It affects the mind, family, and community. Patients carry invisible burdens of pain, fatigue, anxiety, and fear. Families often struggle silently—leaving behind jobs, children, and responsibilities to travel long distances to Lae or Port Moresby for treatment. Many arrive late because of low awareness, cultural beliefs, or lack of diagnostic services in rural areas.

The challenges in our healthcare system make this harder:

✓PNG has only two cancer units in the whole country (Lae and Port Moresby).

✓Lae Cancer Unit provides the only radiation therapy service.

✓Most provincial hospitals lack oncology nurses, diagnostic imaging, and pathology services.

✓Many patients present at advanced stages when options are limited.

Yet amidst these struggles, there is resilience. Patients continue to fight. Families sacrifice everything to stand with them. Nurses and health workers give their best despite shortages, long hours, and limited resources. And through it all, faith, hope, and unity carry us forward.

At PaNGONA, we believe cancer care is not only about treating disease—it is about seeing the unseen, believing in the patient’s journey, and responding with compassion, advocacy, and action.

Together, we can work toward a future where no cancer patient in PNG feels invisible.

01/08/2025

Public Notice: Assistance for Neglected Patient at PMGH

23/07/2025

Awareness on herpes virus 👇 herpes virus is different from Human Pappiloma Virus/HPV and HIV 👍 pls know the difference!

There are different types of :

👉 HSV-1:
🔸 Commonly causes oral herpes with cold sores or mouth ulcers.
🔸 Often spread through saliva or oral contact in childhood.
🔸 Can also cause ge***al herpes later in life through sexual contact.

👉 HSV-2:
🔸 Main cause of ge***al herpes, responsible for 90% of recurrent ge***al symptoms.
🔸 Spread mainly through sexual activity.
🔸 Increases the risk of acquiring HIV by up to three times.

17/07/2025

❤️🙏

A veteran community health worker is calling it a day after forty years of dedicated service to the people of Papua New Guinea. Anthon Bais, who hails from Maprik in East Sepik Province, has served under Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS) in the Diocese of Wewak. He will finally "hang up his coa...

14/07/2025

11/07/2025

Be aware of the cervical cancer factors clearly outlined below 👇stay informed, stay safe🙏

Cervical Cancer: A Growing Threat to Women and Girls in Papua New Guinea

Cervical cancer remains one of the most common and devastating cancers affecting women and girls in Papua New Guinea. According to statistics from the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry at ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital, cervical cancer ranks among the top cancers diagnosed in females, affecting both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women.

Historically, cervical cancer cases in PNG were most prevalent among women aged 40 to 60. However, over the past decade, the trend has shifted alarmingly — the disease is now increasingly affecting younger women, with diagnoses being reported in females as young as 18 years old.

Clinical interviews and patient histories have revealed several contributing risk factors for the high incidence of cervical cancer in PNG. These include:

- Having multiple sexual partners

- Engagement in risky sexual behaviors

- Excessive alcohol consumption

- Betel nut chewing with lime and mustard

- To***co use

* Prevention Measures
To reduce the risk and impact of cervical cancer in PNG, a combination of public health interventions and personal behavioral changes is essential. The following prevention strategies are recommended:

HPV Vaccination: Introduce and scale up nationwide vaccination programs targeting girls and young women aged 9–14, before they become sexually active.

Regular Screening: Establish and promote access to routine cervical screening (e.g., Pap smear and VIA testing) for early detection and timely treatment.

Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate communities on the dangers of high-risk sexual behavior, the importance of using protection, and early signs of cervical cancer.

Lifestyle Modification: Encourage women to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, betel nut chewing, and to***co use.

Improved Access to Healthcare: Strengthen rural and urban health services to ensure early diagnosis, follow-up care, and treatment.