Health
Community Health Worker Scholarships
There is currently a large need for Community Health Workers for the Kokoda Track communities. CHWs are the cornerstone of the PNG health system and provide vital basic healthcare at the village level. We are currently supporting nine students from villages along the Kokoda Track to train as Community Health Workers at various schools of nursing throughout the country. Once qualified, these community members return to their home village and operate the local aid post. >> Read more about this initiative >>
Community Health Worker Salary Incentives
We also fund the salaries of Community Health Workers along the Track to ensure that aid posts and health centres remain open and health services are available to local villagers. We support graduates from our CHW training program (above) to work under supervision in the Kokoda Track aid posts. These CHWs rotate through Efogi, Naduri, Manari, Kagi, Naoro, Sogeri, Abuari, Alola, Kokoda and Buna aid posts. >> Click here to find out more >>
Medical Supplies and Support Program
We also fund and deliver vital drugs and medical resources to aid posts and health centres in the Kokoda Track catchment area including the Kokoda Memorial Hospital. All too often, Government supplies do not reach the remote communities along the Track and aid posts go without vital supplies. We deliver appropriate supply kits into posts that are staffed by qualified health workers who can administer them properly. >> Find out more here >>
Hospital Bed Distribution
In partnership with Rotary Australia, we recently delivered 100 hospital beds to eight hospitals and health centres throughout the Kokoda Region. Many of these facilities were in urgent need of new beds and often only had beds that were broken and unusable. In some health centers, patients were receiving treatment on the floor. The beds make an enormous difference to the quality of healthcare in PNG. >> Read more about this great project >>
Volunteering - Health
This year we are also continuing to support Australian nurses and doctors to volunteer in aid posts and hospitals along the Kokoda Track. Many of our current Community Health Workers are new graduates and are in need of mentoring and additional support. Australia volunteers add value to the extraordinary work being undertaken by our health workers. >> Click here to download our Volunteering Handbook >>