Preventable illnesses push up child mortality rate

Radio New Zealand International

AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER of Papua New Guinean children dying from preventable illnesses is being attributed to an historical failure to invest in health services.

The country director of the charity organisation CARE International says on average 58 children out of every 1,000 die before the age of five from illnesses such as diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia.

Peter Raynes says this compares with six deaths out of every 1,000 in New Zealand.

Furthermore, he says, in rural parts of PNG, the number is likely to be as high as one child in 10.

“There has been an increase in population over the last few decades, PNG currently estimated at about seven million people,” Mr Raynes said.

“And basically the investment in health services that was required to keep up with that increase hasn’t been there and as a result some of these basic services are not in place.”

Comments

[Paulus Ripa]

I note a number of times in PNG attitude the continual mention that infant mortality is continuing to rise. Whilst the current infant mortality and under 5 mortality rate may be still significantly high there is convincing evidence that in the last decade we are seeing a consistent fall in these indices .

Earlier KJ in PNG Attitude (September 2010) has written an article with a link to an article published in International health by Lagani et al representing the Paediatric Society of PNG.

There is evidence that this progress most probably is due to a series of concerted programs in the last 15 years.

The newborn mortality rate has however remained constant and is linked to maternal mortality which has not seen any parallel improvement.

The issues surrounding why all these indices remain higher than other countries are complex.

Anybody who wants to make any comment on infant mortality rates in this country needs to read the article in the earlier edition of PNG Attitude.

A lot more can be accessed by searching for articles for Australian media written by Prof Trevor Duke of Melbourne University.

Prof Duke worked as a paediatrician in Goroka hospital in the late 90’s and even on his return to Melbourne continues to work very closely with PNG colleagues.

He visits PNG several times a year, provides mentoring to the Paediatric Society, the school of Medicine UPNG (of which he is an adjunct professor) and the health department and continues to be a vital part of the PNG Paediatric Society in continuing to work on slowing improving the poor indices in infant and child mortality in this country.
__________

RNZI reported two days ago that child mortality was on the increase - http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2012/10/preventable-illnesses-push-up-child-mortality-rate.html. Don't know where the data emanated - KJ

[Joe Wasia]

Thumbs up to the Aussie government for establishing almost all the infrastructure services that we see today, but which are now deteriorating.

Millions of kina from aid and donor funding, and revenue from different sectors, have been mismanaged for the last 37 years. The monies have not been transferred to what people need.

Since independence, corruption has gradually reached the bloodstreams of almost all people. From my observation when young people graduate from colleges and universities and join the workforce they dance to the same music.

That's disgusting indeed. I'm afraid we might have a corrupt population for some decades.

How can we change that? Well, change has to start from individuals as responsible citizens of this great nation. And influence one another in a chain reaction.