By VENESSA GISAO, UPNG Journalism Student
THE Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) is shifting its healthcare focus towards community-based prevention and primary healthcare to improve health outcomes and reduce pressure on hospitals.
The approach was highlighted on the second day of the two-day National Health Conference held at APEC Haus last Friday, where health leaders discussed ways to improve and strengthen primary healthcare across Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Under a plan presented by AROB Health Secretary Alois Pukienei, Bougainville aims to direct 90 per cent of its healthcare efforts towards community wellness and disease prevention, while allocating the remaining 10 per cent to specialised hospital care.
The strategy comes amid ongoing healthcare challenges in the region, including difficult geographical conditions, shortages of doctors and nurses, and increasing cases of infectious and non-communicable diseases among its estimated 400,000 residents.
Mr Pukienei said a hospital-centred healthcare system alone could not adequately address the needs of communities, particularly those in remote areas.
“If you don’t put effort into primary healthcare, hospital and clinical services will be jammed by people out there. We need to allow solutions to happen at the community level,” he said.
“Primary healthcare is not simply a service level; it is a philosophy that places people, families and communities at the centre,” he added.
The proposed approach builds on 25 years of grassroots health initiatives supported by New Zealand Aid.
Bougainville’s existing community health network includes trained health volunteers in more than 800 villages, health coverage across 441 wards and 47 community governments, as well as programmes focused on health education, disease surveillance, patient referrals and early detection of disease outbreaks.
The reform is supported by the National Department of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), the PNG-Australia Partnership for Health and New Zealand Aid.
Teams led by Health Secretary Kase are expected to conduct assessments to establish quality standards across health facilities in Bougainville.
If successful, the model could be extended to other provinces in PNG to strengthen primary healthcare delivery nationwide.
Conference delegates, including Southern Highlands representative Dr Poki, also highlighted the importance of community-level healthcare, drawing parallels with the historical role of Aid Post Orderlies in providing basic health services and addressing health concerns at the local level.
The discussions underscored the importance of strengthening rural health services and empowering communities to play a greater role in disease prevention, early intervention and improving access to healthcare.