A Roadmap to Building Resilience and Delivering Health in PNG

For many people in Papua New Guinea, local health care facilities (HCFs) are their primary source of medical services. However, many health posts, such as Kuriva Health Facility (pictured above), experience unreliable and untreated water sources and inadequate sanitation. (Photo: WaterAid PNG)

Papua New Guinea (PNG) faces a critical WASH crisis within its healthcare sector. The vast majority of the country’s 3,700 healthcare facilities, serving 80% of the population, lack basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Sanitation and waste management are in a particularly critical state, with the vast majority of health facilities failing to meet essential standards. Compounding the issue, most facilities rely on unreliable rainwater harvesting for their water supply, further exacerbating the problem.

The human toll of this crisis is immense. For PNG communities reliant on these facilities for maternal health, childbirth, vaccinations, and critical medical care, the consequences are devastating. As Philip Vagi, District Health Manager, states, "Without water, we can't keep the facility open, and people won't get the care they need."

"Without water, we can't keep the facility open, and people won't get the care they need."

Philip Vagi, Kuriva District Health Manager

Gabriella Kinaram, Officer in Charge of Kuriva Health Care Facility, firsthand experiences the daily challenges. “We have challenges with infrastructure, we have challenges with water," she says. "The rainwater we rely on is not treated as well."

Climate change is intensifying this crisis through erratic rainfall patterns. Devastating floods and crippling droughts disrupt water supplies, hindering essential hygiene practices, sanitation, and infection control. Donald Kanini, Senior Programmes Manager at WaterAid PNG, describes the situation: “There are floods during the wet season, and the sanitation, specifically the toilets, are overflooded. People don’t access it because they have to close the facility.”

Gabriella Kinaram has witnessed the stark reality of climate change's impact. “When it's the wet season, we have a lot of water. But when the wet season goes away and there’s the dry season, then we run out of water,” she says.

"When the wet season goes away and there’s the dry season, then we run out of water."

Gabriella Kinaram, Officer in Charge of Kuriva Health Care Facility

Recognising the need for a comprehensive approach, the WaterAid and the PNG WASH Consortium spearheaded the development of the first National Roadmap for improving WASH in Healthcare Facilities. This roadmap outlines a clear path to achieving universal access to appropriate and high-quality climate-resilient WASH services in all healthcare facilities by 2030. The National WASH Policy aims to ensure that every healthcare facility, regardless of location, provides accessible WASH services for all, including children, women, and people with disabilities.

Launch of Papua New Guinea's National Roadmap for Health Care Facilities in Port Moresby May 2024 (Photo: WaterAid PNG) 

"The roadmap gives a clear picture of what type of activities have to be done," explains Donald Kanini, Senior Programmes Manager at WaterAid PNG. "Through WASH, sanitation, and hygiene, inclusive of climate resilience, we can address all the health issues we have in the community."

"Through WASH... inclusive of climate resilience, we can address all the health issues we have in the community."

Donald Kanini, Senior Programme Manager at WaterAid PNG

The PNG Consortium and WaterAid are rolling out these guidelines in Kuriva HCF in Central Province. In partnership with Total PNG and local government, and guided by the National Department of Health, Water Sanitation and Hygiene Program Management Unit (WASH PMU) of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM) and Central Provincial Health Authority (PHA), are working to build an infrastructure capable of withstanding the increasing impacts of climate change. This collaborative effort aims to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services for the community.

Vagi sees this as a significant step towards improving the health and well-being of PNG's population. "It's exciting for us because currently in the facility there’s no water running," says Vagi. "It is a very vital component of the health services too."

"When disasters happen, we can still manage to keep the facilities open, and people can access them."

Phillip Vagi, Kuriva District Health Manager

The ultimate goal is to create healthcare facilities that can withstand the challenges posed by climate change. By investing in resilient WASH infrastructure, the PNG Consortium and WaterAid are laying the foundation for a healthier and more equitable future for Papua New Guinea. Says Vagi, "When disasters happen, we can still manage to keep the facilities open, and people can access them."