LIGHT FOR LIFE
Vaccination is critical to PNG’s future, allowing Papua New Guineans to live more safely with not only COVID-19, but many other endemic diseases.
Solar fridges are an essential element of the province’s vaccination plan, enabling remote aid posts without access to electricity to store vaccines. Cold-storage is vital for health workers in rural and remote locations to safely keep and administer vaccinations against the virus, as well as many scheduled childhood vaccines, including measles, polio and tetanus. They will also enable storage of other common medicines that require refrigeration, like insulin for treating diabetes, some eye drops and types of antibiotics.
Light for Life assists health workers at all 47 operating aid posts across Oro Province by providing solar fridges for vaccine storage, as well as solar power and water tanks (as needed) for their health facilities.
It is a partnership between KTF, the PNG National Department of Health, the Northern Provincial Health Authority, Governor Juffa’s office and the office of the Provincial Administrator.
Vaccine education
Our goal is help to get as many vaccines into arms as possible when supplies become available in the far corners of Oro Province.
To assist in uptake, health patrols, led by a qualified nurse, will head into the remote communities of the Kokoda, Oro Bay and Higaturu LLG’s to raise awareness in readiness.
To ensure maximum attendance, community notices, or tok saves, are distributed notifying of the patrol’s impending visit, targeting a range of invitees, including village chiefs, leaders, women's groups, teachers, health workers and village health volunteers.
Topics covered include facts about COVID-19, practices to stop the spread and vaccination. Sessions are conducted in conjunction with local representatives in local language for understanding and include examples of the health and practical implications of the virus in the community.
Upskilling rural health workers
In readiness to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations when they become available in their remote locations, the province’s Community Health Workers gather in the provincial capital of Popondetta to undertake training on COVID-19 vaccine administration and messaging.
Conducted in conjunction with the National Department of Health and Provincial Health Authority, attendees receive a support pack of resources, including non-contact thermometer, N95 and disposable masks, hand sanitiser, COVID awareness and vaccine manual, vaccine infographic posters and materials from the PNG government’s official campaign ‘Sleeves Up‘.
Light for Life is supported by the PNG-Australia Partnership through the Pawarim Komuniti Off-grid Electrification Program.
