The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted some of the challenges of achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health for women, girls and young people in Papua New Guinea that was re-emphasized at the start of the new year.
The infrastructural constraints, limited funding and insufficient human resources continue to have a significant impact on the access to quality sexual and reproductive health in the country.
Despite this, the country office has had a busy few months during the tail-end of 2024 as they closed off the year, 2024.
Together with UNFPA’s partners, they recently opened the refurbished Youth Center at the Family Health Association (FHA) in Lae, Morobe Province.
Supported by World Vision Papua New Guinea, the launching of this center will provide young people with vital sexual and reproductive health services, counselling, and information.
UNFPA extended their gratitude to PNG FHA and World Vision PNG, for making this initiative possible.
In addition to this, UNFPA also hosted the Morobe Youth Parliament in Lae, where thirty young leaders participated in leadership and civic training.
These efforts gathered further momentum at the 2024 National Youth Parliament in Port Moresby, which brought together sixty youths from across the country, empowering them to shape their communities and the nation’s future.
In collaboration with the National Government, UNFPA handed over the 2024 State of the World Population Report to the Department of Monitoring and Planning.
First Assistant Secretary Mr. Sanja Pepae, highlighted the report’s valuable recommendations for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in PNG.
Another milestone was the official handover of a fully equipped ambulance to the Enga Provincial Health Authority (PHA), made possible by funding from the Australian Government.
During the ceremony, Officer-in-Charge of the Enga PHA, Mr. Ben Nema, expressed his gratitude, emphasizing the ambulance’s vital role in delivering healthcare to remote areas of the province, including those affected by natural disasters.
With the beginning of a new year, UNFPA has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure the achievement of their three transformative results, towards ending preventable maternal death, ending the unmet need for family planning, and eliminating all forms of gender-based violence and harmful practices.