The status of “population health” in PNG: in retrospect and onward...

1. The status of “population health” in PNG: in retrospect and onward... By Jennifer Litau Dean/Senior Lecturer, School of Arts and Humanities, Pacific Adventist University Email: jlitau@pau.ac.pg

2. Presentation Outline • What is the “population health approach”? • Why is the “population health approach” more relevant and appropriate for improving health achievements in PNG? • What has been the past performance of PNG’s “population health” indicators? • What key “population health” indicators pose onward challenges and possibilities for PNG?

3. 1. What is the “Population health approach”?

4. 2(a). Why is the “population health” approach more relevant and appropriate for realising health achievements in PNG? Sources: UNDP. (2007). Human Development Report 2007/2008. New York: Palgrave MacMillian. UNDP. (2010). Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2010. Colombo: Macmillan.

5. 2(b). Why is the “population health” approach more relevant and appropriate for improving health achievements in PNG? Table 1: A comparison of selected high and medium level ranking countries with PNG of their human development indicators. Source: UNDP. (2007). Human Development Report 2007/2008. New York: Palgrave MacMillian. Notes: HDI refers to Human Development Index. ALR refers to Adult Literacy Rate. GE (PST %) refers to Gross Enrolment for Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. GDP refers to Gross Domestic Product.

6. 2(c). Why is the “population health” approach more relevant and appropriate for improving health achievements in PNG?

7. 3(a). What has been the past performance of PNG’s “population health” indicators? Table 2: Selected country comparisons with PNG of their population indicators of health. Source: UNDP. (2007). Human Development Report 2007/2008. New York: Palgrave MacMillian Notes: MMR refers to maternal mortality ratio.

8. Figure 2. Life expectancy (in years) compared between PNG’s provinces and by sex, 2000.

9. Table 3: Human Poverty Index –indicator of deprivation-opposite of HDI –indicator of average achievement. Source: UNDP. (2007). Human Development Report 2007/2008. New York: Palgrave MacMillian NSO. 2006. Demographic and Health Survey 2006.

10. Table 5. Total of PNG’s health facilities and health personnel contrasted with population per facility/personnel, 2000. Source: National Research Institute, 2010

11. 4) What key “population health” indicators pose onward challenges and possibilities for PNG? • Population: • Life expectancy • Adult mortality • Total Fertility Rate (ASFR 20-29) • Sub-Groups • Infant mortality • Under 5 mortality • Maternal mortality ratio • Health • Physicians per 100,000 people (in 2000-04 only 5) • Nurses per 100,000 people • Health Centers per 100,000 people • Aid posts per 100,000 people • Education • Adult literacy • Educational Attainment • Economic • Per capita US$34 • Environmental • Household access to clean water • Household sanitation/hygiene

12. Integration of factors improving health or reducing inequality: E.g. Maternal deaths

13. Summary • Population health is all about human development, which is a process of enlarging people’s freedoms to do and be what they value in life, and empowering people as active agents in development processes. People are both the beneficiaries and the agents of human development, both as individuals and as groups in common cause with others. • Population health approach reiterates “integral human development” a fundamental guiding directive and principle of the PNG Constitution. • A Chinese proverbs says “one generation plants a tree, another generation takes shade under it”