Australian students build neonatal centre in Suanum, East Sepik EMTV News | Tuesday, 23 Dec 2014 By Sasha Pei-Silovo – EM TV Online The lives of Papua New Guinean mothers and newborn babies are continuously put at risk with the appalling state of healthcare services that are either non-existent in most areas throughout the country; or that are in need of upgrade, medical workers, facilities and medicine. The lack of proper, clean and safe neonatal centres, especially in rural areas, is one of the biggest contributing factors to Papua New Guinea having one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world; with prenatal complications being a leading cause of ‘one out of every ten deaths’. More so, infant mortality rates stand at 47 deaths per 1000 ‘live’ births. But thanks to the aid and expertise of Australian architecture students from the University of Melbourne, the people of the remote, coastal community of Suanum, located in Turubu East Coast of the Wewak District of East Sepik Province, now have a neonatal centre and innovative composting toilet system. The $60, 000 project, jointly funded through the Direct Aid Program of the Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea and the University of Melbourne’s Bower Studio led by Dr David O’Brien from the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, focuses on the significance of “sanitation in reducing mortality rates”...
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:51:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015