Comments

Thanks for the comment, Bryant. Only formal private sector workers who are making superannuation contributions are included in the dataset, which includes agricultural workers employed in formal businesses. As Ryan notes, informal sector workers such as individuals working their own land are not included in the database, although there has been a recent push to get informal sector workers to save in super, so this may change in the future.

Thanks John for your comments. Yes, we are limited by the data, and it would be great to have more. As Ryan notes, a HIES would be good, and there is talk of a LFS this year or next. The IFPRI Rural Household Survey in 2023 gives some information about what is going on in the rural sector.

While I am pleased to contribute to the comments section, I would also like to commend you for detailed analysis of the VHV program that has been running for more than two decades. My fellow health professionals who have been part of the rural health systems have also highlighted most significant areas that need attention from NDOH and PHAs. As one of those nurses who had spent some 15 plus years working at health sub-center run by both churches and government, mostly in far-remote outback communities, and one who also involved in the VHV program that was trialed in early 2000s, would like to a few experiences. Firstly, I would like to commend the churches for what they are doing in most remote communities and the tireless CHWs, VHS and Village Birth Attendants (VBAs). Without the presence of these committed health workers, there would be total chaos, and maternal, infant and under 1 year mortality rates would have gone worse from bad. I totally agree to some significant issues raised by my colleagues that the government needs to address including strengthening and enforcing them through stronger policies. 1. Make it a policy for HEOs and Midwives (trained under AUSAID Scholarships) to serve at rural health facilities for their first three years post-graduation and residency. 2. Create separate structure/directorate within NDOH, PHAs and district health services with strong monitoring and evaluation focus for CHWs, VHVs and VBAs programs with logistic, supervision and upskilling with monthly allowance to support their families. 3. GOPNG must make its presence felt in remote locations through consistent infrastructure development including roads, bridges, airstrips, wharfs, and water supplies, to make their talking come true in real-time actions. 4. Those applying for rural jobs must sign a contract that legally binding to ensure they serve their full contract duration with full compliance to the terms and conditions without comprising them leading to failure of their contract obligations to the citizens and PNG government. I hope recommendations provided by my colleagues and myself are transmitted through your medium of communication to WHO and NDOH (GOPNG). Thank you.

Such an important discussion on the protection of aid workers. Stronger legal frameworks are key to ensuring both the safety of those on the front lines and the communities they serve.

Thank you Anna, I love the Taf Tumas series! I would also love to do that for PNG children at some stage but so many ideas and too little time. Hopefully, someone else down the line will use the dictionary entries to create a series for children or continue the series (Famous People of PNG) that Eric Johns started.

Great piece Dr Meki and I especially like the point that a 'national dictionary of biography is a significant marker of nationhood.' It would be great to do something similar for Vanuatu (where we have commenced in the children's literature space through the Taf Tumas series, but could also benefit from a national dictionary of biography approach).

Very constructive and excellently outlined here bro. Despite the loss and hardship you face as a person coming from the remotest part of SSY, Simbu and the country at large, you've taken a good initiative and a way forward in advocating the local community on the socio-economic barriers and ways on how to get out of poverty and that is a wonderful thing to do as a student. Bro, you've started a journey which is noble and caring. Giving back is something no one does but only a few kind-hearted ones do.

Thank you a great reflection. The other issue is local effort is not counted in a what can be counted counts world. I saw an ALNAP figure on humanitarian assistance which doesn’t look good but it left out all of the local effort, religious based organisation work, not to mention volunteer time, and the work of those organisations we may not like very much for whatever reason. We need to be better in estimating local effort if we can’t accurately count it.

Compensation for keeping the forests.

By reading what General Jerry Singirok has done for the future of Bougainville, we should make sure to honor him in some way.

A very awesome piece written here. Kudos on your next chapter Brother Gurame, Cheers.

As a former lecturer to willing and interested students at UPNG (in Policy Monitoring and Evaluation), I often still wonder about the experiences of UPNG's students and the later application of their studies. Thank you Gurame for demonstrating so admirably some of their futures. More effectiveness to your aims and intentions !