PNG Midwifery Project

Drawing on the skills and experience of our incredible club members, we have taken a lead role resourcing and coordinating an enormously impactful project designed to improve maternal and newborn health in Papua New Guinea. The project provides training for midwives, connecting them with Australian midwife 'buddies'. Midwives trained through the program in turn train community health care workers throughout the country, while working tirelessly to improve access to improved health services.

Our Mission

To empower and inspire midwives working in PNG and Australia through peer support, collaboration and nurturing sustainable leadership.

Our Vision

To improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in PNG through strengthening PNG Midwives

History

In 2017, the members of the Rotary Club of Morialta became aware of the urgent need to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in Papua New Guinea, a neighbouring country of Australia.

More than 80 % of people in Papua New Guinea (PNG) live in rural and remote locations, which are isolated and hard to reach by health care services. There are an estimated 250,000 births in PNG per year and most of them are in these rural areas.

Tragically, maternal and neonatal outcomes in PNG are among the worst in the world, while only half of all births occur in the presence of a skilled attendant. PNG currently has only 1,000 trained midwives, which is 8,000 less than it would need in order to meet international standards.

Working with the Australia College of Midwives (ACM), Morialta members approached the PNG Midwifery Society (PNGMS), who were very supportive of a partnership with our Club to improve outcomes for mothers and babies through the strengthening of midwifery leadership within PNG.

Responding to the needs of the PNGMS, the model that we developed was a ‘buddy’, 'train the trainer' program between the ACM and the PNGMS. The aim was to build capacity and standards within the PNGMS, so that they can more effectively represent, support, and advance midwifery in all regions of the country.

The Rotary Club of Morialta Club stepped up to the challenge by developing an initial 3-year project, to provide midwives in PNG with a leadership and advocacy ‘budddy’ program.

Each year of the project, a group of Australian midwives have volunteered their time to work with their colleagues in PNG. The buddy pairs form a long-term mentorship relationship, with the buddies going on to mentor other in-country midwives.

The project has been an enormous success, and continues to this day, with the fourth round of the program now underway. So far, over 50 PNG midwives and counting have gone through our program. Recognising the importance of the project, our club has been awarded a Rotary Global and District grant to proceed with this signature project.

About Morialta

Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back.

Our club accepts new members by invitation.

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Contact Us

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