Supporting the Adaptation of the Child survival strategy

Papua New Guinea

CICH closely collaborates with the PNG Paediatric Society and the National Department of Health to support efforts at developing the national child health program and improving child health policy and improving clinical care (see: Improving hospital care for children). An important result of this work has been the PNG Child Health Plan, the national strategic plan adapted from the recommendations of the WHO/UNICEF Regional Child Survival Strategy.

PNG_Child_Health_Policy_and_Plan_2009-2020.pdf

The Solomon Islands

Having endorsed the Millennium Development Goals, the Solomon Islands is working to reduce her under-5 mortality rate by two-thirds by 2015, from a high of 66 per 1000 live births in 1999.

The Solomon Islands is in the process of rebuilding a health system that suffered widespread loss of human resources, infrastructure and structural organization due to civil unrest between 1998 and 2002. In April 2007, the western islands of the Solomon Islands faced a devastating tsunami, which annulled much of the progress that had been made in the preceding three years in the affected provinces. While much external support and local initiatives have been directed at reviving public health interventions for the general population, until recently, child health interventions continued to be mainly vertical.

The Ministry of Health & Medical Services (MHMS), has adopted an integrated approach to improving child health. CICH is assisting with this. In 2006 a comprehensive National Child Health Plan was developed by the Ministry of Health & Medical Services (MHMS) based on the Regional Child Survival Strategy and local program area priorities. The plan, which includes the 'Essential Package' of interventions recommended by WHO & UNICEF, aims to strengthen the health system at the community, primary healthcare facility and hospital levels. In November 2007, CICH supported a National Child Health Summit, which focused on the implementation of the Child Health Plan across all levels of the health service and community.

Solomon Islands Child Health Plan 2007 [PDF 130 KB]

Contacts:

Trevor Duke - trevor.duke@rch.org.au

Rami Subhi - rami.subhi@rch.org.au

Last Updated 07-Aug-2009. Authorised by: Professor Kim Mulholland. Enquiries: Amanda O'Brien.