Living Child was awarded a 100 Women grant of $39,952 in October 2022 to build five stand-alone birthing huts in villages in Angoram District, Papua New Guinea (PNG) with the essential equipment for labour and birth and to provide midwifery training to 50 Village Birth Attendants (VBAs) that would provide education and support in sexual health and pregnancy. This project recently completed its first year activities.
After unprecedented flooding in the Angoram District in mid-March and a magnitude-6.9 earthquake hit the East Sepik Province (ESP) on Sunday 24 March, Living Child has been working tirelessly in partnership with the East Sepik Province Health Authority to provide urgent support to the impacted communities.
The 100 Women Board has approved a variation request for the remaining grant funds to be redirected to the work of a midwifery team under the expert leadership of Christian Wright, an Australian male midwife/nurse who has extensive experience (picture, right). You can hear more about Christian’s story via this Conversation with Sarah Kanowski.
Christian (who arrived in PNG in early April) and the team are focused on maternal and newborn health care, with training and activities that will enhance the capacity of the local volunteers and VBAs to cope during this emergency period. They are ensuring that health checks are carried out, referral pathways are established, that mothers have adequate (and additional nutrition) to meet their needs, and that VBAs are supported in their capacity to assist birthing mothers.
Read Living Child’s statement: https://www.livingchildinc.org.au/emergencyupdate
Donate to the cause: https://gofund.me/edac5159
Living Child is holding a morning tea on 11 May in honour of International Day of the Midwife with all funds raised directly going to the health care response in the communities affected by the natural disasters
