Maternal, newborn and child health services in Western Province, Papua New Guinea

The increasing emergence and transmission of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major global health challenge. The island of Daru in Western Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak with severe consequences for the health of the population, health services and the risk of epidemic spread to other parts of PNG. This outbreak has considerable implications for the delivery of maternal, newborn and child health services in these communities. Health systems strengthening is needed to ensure these services can continue to provide good-quality care. A situation analysis of maternal, newborn and child health services in the province would provide critical information regarding the current state of MNCH service provision, as well as identifying gaps and needs at community, healthcare worker and policy levels. The student will work with the Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health and Tuberculosis Working Groups at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne (desk-based research). This project will allow the student to gain experience in maternal and child health service evaluation and prioritisation of implementation strategies, with a view to a written report to guide further efforts in the province.