A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last Friday will pave the way to strengthen referral pathways for children accessing services at safe house often with their mothers experiencing family and sexual violence. In a small yet significant ceremony, Office of the Child and Family Services with Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council’s Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee (CIMC/FSVAC) signed the strategic instrument to better assist women and children in safe houses. Under the MOU, the two partners will deliver key trainings to empower and upskill safe house workers majority of whom are volunteers for a period of 12 months. The MoU was signed by OCFS deputy director and program coordinator, Mr Otto Trur, CIMC executive officer Mrs Wallis Yakam and FSVAC National Coordinator Marcia Kalinoe in Port Moresby. This symbolic event also marked the conclusion of a three-day Volunteer Child Protection training for 15 frontline workers who came from safe houses in Port Moresby, Lae and Goroka particularly from the House of Hope, Lifeline, Foursquare, City Mission, Adventist Workers and Femili PNG. The partnership will bring together like minded partners to train the safe house staff on Lukautim Pikinini Act (LPA) and Community Child Protection Volunteers (CCPV), Early Child Care Development (ECCD), Emergency Response on Children, Child Protection Case Management, refresher training for Child Protection Officers (CPOs) in the safe house pilot provinces, Entry Point of a Survivor and Primero (an open-source software system designed to help GBV and Child Protection service providers securely and safely collect, store, manage, and share data) training. CIMC Executive Officer Wallis Yakam was grateful to the government for partnering with civil society actors to improve access to support services for Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors. “We are achieving extra milestones by equipping you with extra skills, hopefully this training extents to other centers. We need partnerships and collaboration among likeminded organisations such as this as, the problem is too big for anyone organization to deal with”, Mrs Yakam said. “How do we move forward, one of them is the laws that we have and the referral pathways” “Many of our survivors do not know where to start in terms of reporting, some of them are scared and traumatized”. “So we have to put in more awareness of the referral pathways that we develop, so that entry point has to be made aware to survivors and everybody out there”. Mr Trur explained that for Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 and other relevant Acts to be fully implemented thus “we need to train our officers especially the child protection officers as well as partners and child protection volunteers”. Given that International day of Disability Mr Trur acknowledge that LPA 2015 covers provisions on children with disability and that Community Child Protection Volunteer (CCPV) are trained on this aspect.

63 unclaimed bodies at the Port Moresby General Hospital mortuary will be buried today in a mass burial. Among the bodies are nine children, 54 adults and 11 body parts. These bodies are from the month of March and April which have been put on notice for relatives to collect, however only a few of them were claimed by relatives. Director for Medical Services at the Port Moresby General Hospital Dr Kone Sobi said it's unfortunate that a mass burial has to take place especially in a Melanesian country where we bury our own. "It's not our Melanesian way when we don't pick our loved ones body and take them away for a peaceful and decent burial." Dr Sobi said as bad as it looks, it's a relief to the mortuary with the overcrowding situation they are experiencing in the morgue. It is understood that NCDC has engaged a contractor to carry out the mass burial. The bodies are currently being loaded into the coffins at the morgue area while another burial team is at the 9 Mile cemetery preparing the burial plot.

PAPUA New Guineans across the length and breadth of the country should expect quality healthcare service delivery “within an hour’s reach” by the Year 2030, Prime Minister James Marape has said. The Prime Minister issued this directive to the Department of Health, especially the Health Secretary and the heads of the Provincial Health Authorities (PHA), as he summarised the National Health Plan 2021 – 2030 before launching it in Port Moresby this week. With the Health sector receiving one of biggest slices of the budgetary pie at 11 percent in next year’s budget (the highest to date since Independence), PM Marape did not mince his words when he told the PHA heads that this was “not an academic plan” and that they must “connect the dots”, absorb the plan, and begin executing it. He said: “I summarise the plan into this – a quality health system and facilities must be within reach in an hour by walking, by boat, by vehicle, or by a plane for our people wherever they are in the country. “Health is our people’s fundamental right; it is our moral responsibility to provide good health care to our people." Along the same vein, the Prime Minister said he didn't want to see any more "medical tourists to Singapore, Philippines or elsewhere by 2031". He continued: “PHAs heads, I come to you because you stand beneficiary in the devolution of functions that already is being transferred to you. As you sit in on your PHAs, the Health Secretary does not know who is living one hour away or two hours away from the aid post or the health centre. It is you. “Health is our peoples’ fundamental right. That is why we have given you a greater allocation this year when Covid-19 exposed a total deficiency we have inherited in our health care system. “A country with only 200 ICU beds is totally shocking for us. A nation of 8 million people having 200 ICU beds right across the country is not something that we can be proud of.” The Prime Minister also made it clear to the PHAs to “stay away from the K15 million" allocation earmarked for provincial hospitals, while the departments of Health and National Planning & Monitoring worked on a more practical, watertight, and comprehensive programme for PNG's hospitals. These new programmes are being worked out with the support of a development partner for 22 modern hospitals for the country. “So we must make strategic interventions synchronised with my view that all hospitals, health centers and community aid posts must be one hour within walking distance or by a mode of transport for our citizens for necessary reliable health care within their reach for any level of health needs," the Prime Minister said. With the spotlight on Health beginning next year, PM Marape said this would continue over the years with similar allocations in every budget till 2030 even if he didn’t return as head of the country. The launch of this, the 7th National Health Plan since Independence, comes exactly a week after the passing of the 2022 National Budget, which is projected to set Papua New Guinea’s feet on the road to debt-recovery by the Year 2027. Also with a forecast of a K200 million economy by the Year 2030, the 7th National Health Plan has received the direct design oversight of the Prime Minister to add value to the overall economic goal as, he said, “a healthy population means a healthy economy”. Health is receiving K2.8 billion in the 2022 National Budget, or 11 percent of the expenditure – the highest to PNG health since Independence. Among significant areas worth highlighting is the allocation of K50 million toward the cancer facility at the Port Moresby General Hospital - another first within the health sector budget. Besides this is the creation of 5,000 positions for additional health care workers which the Department of Personnel Management is now facilitating. This would later be migrated into the permanent structure. PM Marape also highlighted areas within Health that also needed immediate attention beginning next year, including medical research and the elevation of the standard of the PNG medical board to nothing less than “world class”.

Trukai Industries recently donated a Village Sustainability Kit (VSK) to a farmer in Tubuserea under its Small Holder Rice Development Program. Dickson Oroni from Noutubuwa clan in Tubuserea had been a farmer for 20 years before Trukai came on board to support him with a startup kit to expand his rice farm. He was humbled by the support that Trukai had given to assist with his farming which he planned to cultivate more land and recruit members of his community. “I would like to thank Trukai for supplying me with this kit which I will share with my entire community and other local farmers where we can engage unemployed youths to work with us,” said Oroni. Oroni’s technical knowledge and with his understanding of modern technology used in the farming industry was one of the reasons why Trukai decided to support him. Gathered at the small ceremony were Tubuserea Village leaders and members of their community. Trukai’s Rice Development Manager Aina Davis urged the villages to work in partnership with Trukai and the government to set up local rice farms that will contribute to establish local rice production in PNG. “Indeed rice is a staple food for Papua New Guineans but it is not a staple crop, that is why Trukai has been doing a lot of work to promote local rice production,” said Davis. Trukai has distributed VSKs to genuine irrigation farmers since 2011 under its various rice development programs. Through its Small Holder Rice Development Program, Trukai offers support in terms of the Village Sustainability Kit, technical expertise and paddy market access. The VSK is supplied to genuine irrigation farmers and include a solar rice mill, a power tiller, manual seeders, a knapsack, sickles and rice seedlings. The technical expertise consists of formal and informal trainings, field demonstrations and training materials. Through the paddy market access support, Trukai will purchase surplus quality paddy from the farmers. The vision of this farming program by Trukai Industries is to support food security by maximizing local rice production in PNG.

Over 18,000 grade 12 students who sat for the National Examination this year will miss out on selections for Tertiary level of education. The Acting secretary for the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (DHERST) Dr Francis Hualupmomi confirmed that 29,463 students sat for this year’s national exam, however only 11, 000 can be accommodated at the Tertiary level. The existing tertiary institutions can only take up to 11,000 students and this has been the case for the past years with so many grade 12 students with good marks missing out on the career of study they chose. During the Higher Education Transition and Reform launching last week, the Prime Minister James Marape challenged the Department to create more space at the Tertiary level that can be able to cater for 30,000 students. Dr Hualupmomi said the main agenda on the current reform in the Department is to be able to provide alternatives for the huge number of grade 12 school leavers who miss out on selection due to limited space. “Every year we have 29,000 to 30,000 students and we only have 11,000 of these students who can access the higher learning institutions.” “So the Prime Minister has directed the Department to increase the 11,000 to 30,000 which we plan to execute.” The Acting Secretary said they are looking at investing into Digital Education as this is one area that has already evolved during the current COVID-19 pandemic which can be able create for more space in Tertiary institutions while complimenting the transition the Department is going through. The Grade 12 selection list will be released to the public on 21st of December while a 4-day grace period from the 14th-17th December will allow students to adjust their choices on their school leaver forms before final selections are made.

Australia has announced it will fund the construction of a new urban health clinic in the heart of Port Moresby. Delivered in partnership with the Motu Koita Assembly, NCD Provincial Health Authority, the National Capital District Commission and the local United Church, the new clinic will improve access to healthcare services for the Motu Koita community through the construction of a new health centre. The health clinic will be constructed in Hanuabada, National Capital District (NCD) on land allocated by the local United Church. Today, Australian High Commissioner, HE Jon Philp, joined representatives from the Motu Koita Assembly, United Church, NCD Provincial Health Authority and NCD Commission to break ground for the historic new project. “Australia is proud to build on our history of health care support to the people living in Motu Koita villages,” said the High Commissioner at the launch. “This partnership will deliver more accessible health services to more than 40,000 people in the local area, and particular improve maternal and child health with the construction of a new birthing suite.” Through this partnership, Australia is committing PGK25 million for the construction. Other partners will provide supporting staffing, equipment and resourcing for the new clinic. “As part of Australia’s COVID-19 emergency response, we recognise it is critical to strengthen health systems and capacity, and improve health facilities across the nation,” the High Commissioner concluded. The clinic will reduce villagers’ travel times to access health services. The new facilities will include comprehensive maternal and women’s health services, such as health screening, and will have tuberculosis treatment facilities, pathology, dental services, a pharmacy and staff accommodation on site. The National Department of Health and NCD Provincial Health Authority have been crucial in developing the new health centre’s scope and services to meet the needs of local communities. “The new clinic will enhance health care services within the local area and will help to alleviate overcapacity issues at nearby healthcare facilities, including the Lawes Road Clinic and Port Moresby General Hospital,” said the Minister for Health, the Hon Jelta Wong, MP. “Today, we thank the Australian Government for coming back to assist an old friend. We are rekindling a relationship that goes back more than 100 years,” said Hon Dadi Toka MBE, Deputy Governor the National Capital District and Chairman of the Motu Koita Assembly. “We also thank our key partners, the United Church and the National Capital District Provincial Health Authority for supporting this landmark health facility for the indigenous people of this city,” he continued. Construction for the clinic will commence in 2022 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. Australia’s long standing health partnership with PNG is committed to supporting improved primary health care, through stronger health systems, and more efficient service delivery.

PNG Football Association Executive Committee has now officially announced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2021 Kumul Petroleum Men’s National Soccer League season. In a statement to all teams and stakeholders including sponsors, the PNGFA Competition Director Roosje Suwae said the resolution was reached and endorsed by 14 franchises clubs to cancel this year’s competition and thereafter approved and endorsed by the PNGFA Executive Committee. Considering the surge in the current Covid-19 Pandemic, PNGFA Exco unanimously voted in support of the resolution to cancel the Games for the reasons mentioned below; • Increase in current Covid-19 surges in the country; • The two Provinces which play host to the Conference League are both categorized as High Risk Provinces and are under restriction whereby all sports are suspended indefinitely; • Deputy Controller will only allow competition to return if all players and officials are vaccinated; • Majority of the players and officials refuse to get vaccinated; • Clubs raised concern that the costs of the Covid-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test was too expensive if this will be an option of returning to the competition; and • Clubs not being able to keep players if competition was to be deferred indefinitely as it is costly keeping players in a camp. The Executive Committee recommend also that the Competitions Department recognize and declare Lae City FC in the Northern Conference and Hekari United FC in the Southern Conference as equal winners in the respective conferences as these two clubs currently sit on the top of the point table in the respective conferences The Executive Committee recommends that the nomination for representation shall be done in close consultation with the Office of the General Secretary, the Competitions Director and Oceania Football Confederation Competitions Department. It would mean that the winner of these two teams will be eligible for the one spot available for PNG at the 2022 OFC Champions League.

The Kids for Conservation Program will be held at the Port Moresby Nature Park from December 13th –16th this year. Registration Fee is only K40 per participant between the ages of 6 – 13 years old and includes a healthy snack for brunch with lots of fun outdoor learning. An award certificate will be presented to participants upon completion of the program. Due to Covid-19 measures observed by the Nature Park, class sizes are reduced to 20 students per session where 80 students are expected to participate over the 4 days program. The Port Moresby Nature Park thanks its valued members and parents who continue to support the Park’s Mission by having their children attend the Kids for Conservation program at every school holiday. With continuous environmental issues affecting many societies today, the work of Port Moresby Nature Park will be even more important as we advocate, protect and conserve PNG’s Wildlife and the Environment through education for our future generations. Port Moresby Nature Park is a charity organisation that relies on grants and donor funding to operate. By visiting the Park and joining our Membership, you help support the Park’s efforts in preserving PNG’s unique natural environment for future generations, including the Park’s 350 resident animals, majority of which have been surrendered to the Park for care.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed there is community transmission of the Omicron coronavirus variant in multiple regions of England. He told MPs the variant was continuing to spread in the UK and around the world and there were now cases in the UK with no links to international travel. BBC News reports there have been 336 confirmed cases of the highly-mutated variant across the UK. Of the confirmed Omicron cases, 261 were in England, 71 in Scotland and four in Wales while Northern Ireland is yet to have a confirmed case. It has been stressed by experts that evidence on Omicron variant’s impact on the transmissibility of the virus, severity of disease, and effect of prior immunity (from vaccination or infection) is still in the very early stages so conclusions cannot be made yet. [Source: BBC]

The Electoral Commission Appointments Committee (ECAC) has recently approved the appointment of Mr. Simon Sinai as the new Electoral Commissioner. Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, MP and the Chairman of the Committee said the ECAC has approved to advise the Head of State to appoint Mr Sinai as the Electoral Commissioner for a maximum of four (4) years or until he reaches 60 years of age, whichever occurs first, effective from 1st December 2021 and directed the First Legislative Counsel to prepare the necessary instruments of revocation and appointment of Mr. Simon Sinai as Electoral Commissioner for gazettal. The Prime Minister said Mr. Sinai was appointed after a thorough screening and vetting process. The Electoral Commission Appointments Committee deliberated on a shortlist taking into consideration provisions of the Organic Law on National and Local Level Government Elections. Following much deliberation, a majority consensus was reached that Mr. Sinai stood out as the most preferred candidate. He said Mr. Sinai was the successful candidate because he comes with 30 years of experience working with the Electoral Commission. "During his time with the Electoral Commission, Mr. Sinai was able to identify the most common problems faced in elections and initiated administrative changes to the structure of the Commission and the election process and management," Prime Minister Marape said. "Mr. Sinai also used his experience and demonstrated strong management and leadership skills amidst a difficult budgetary environment that has been compounded with the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, and  conducted and delivered a satisfactory Menyamya Open By-Election, Goroka Open By-Election, Autonomous Region of Bougainville Regional Elections, the court-ordered Kandep Open recount as well as the Moresby Northwest By-Election. "Also, under Mr. Sinai's leadership, the Commission successfully trialled the first biometric voting verification system in the Kupiano LLG By-Election." [caption id="attachment_17430" align="aligncenter" width="572"] PNGEC successfully trialled the first biometric voting verification system in the Kupiano LLG By-Election last year. Picture by Emmanuel MAIPE[/caption] The Prime Minister further added that Mr. Sinai has been Acting on the position for the last 15 months and the successful By-Elections mentioned in this statement show that he has adjusted well to the challenges of the role, making him the ideal candidate for the position. Additionally, the Prime Minister said that to have another shortlisted candidate appointed would be disruptive to the progress made under Mr. Sinai’s leadership on preparations for the 2022 National General Elections such as the common roll update, further testing into biometric voter registration, and finalizing other key proposed electoral reforms before 2022.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong has confirmed the two travellers from Africa currently in quarantine are confirmed positive for the Omicron variant. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services announced last week that travellers who had arrived from an African state and were undergoing quarantine in a border quarantine facility had tested positive for COVID-19. Their samples had been sent to the reference laboratory in Australia for urgent genomic sequencing. Doctor Fong says the two travellers are Fijian citizens who had travelled back into Fiji from Nigeria, arriving on Fiji Airways flight FJ1392 from Hong Kong on November 25th – the day the discovery of the Omicron variant was announced internationally. Both travellers tested negative for COVID-19 before departure and before they left Nigeria. Doctor Fong says they entered a government-designated border quarantine facility immediately upon arrival into Fiji, tested positive while in quarantine, currently have no symptoms, and were fully vaccinated. With the exception of four passengers, all those on the flight were from non-travel partner countries, and therefore entered a border quarantine facility upon arrival to undergo the full quarantine protocol of 10 days. Doctor Fong says that has since been extended to 14 days. The four passengers on the flight who were from a travel partner country have tested negative. The Fiji Airways crew and accompanying passengers from FJ 1392 have tested negative at least twice. Doctor Fong says the indications are that we have averted community transmission at this time, and the measures they had put in place to prevent, or at least delay, community transmission through the importation of cases from red zone countries have worked well so far. He says Fiji’s red zone designated countries are countries that we consider at high risk of proliferating variants. These are countries with low vaccination rates, poor testing data, and an ongoing outbreak. Doctor Fong says as previously highlighted, the protocols in place for the red zone countries were to isolate for 5 days and test negative twice before we approve their re-entry. In Fiji, they undergo 14 days of strict quarantine and testing in a government-designated border quarantine facility. Doctor Fong says the evidence on Omicron variant’s impact on the transmissibility of the virus, severity of disease, and effect of prior immunity (from vaccination or infection) is still in the very early stages so conclusions cannot be made yet. However, he says the preliminary evidence is that this variant may be more transmissible than the Delta variant; it may cause reinfection in people who have been previously infected with another variant; and it has been seen to infect people who are fully vaccinated – although, so far, the fully vaccinated cases have been generally mild or with no symptoms. The Permanent Secretary says it must be re-emphasized that, if a variant is transmissible enough, stringent border and community measures will only delay the inevitable entry and spread of current and future variants of the COVID-19 virus, especially as the Omicron variant is also spreading into some of our travel partner countries. He says to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our country, we must all get vaccinated when it is our turn, and even with our high vaccination levels, we must maintain COVID safe habits: mask wisely by carrying a well-fitted mask when you leave your home and wear the mask properly in public indoor spaces, public service vehicles, and outdoor crowded spaces; open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces; 2-metre physical distancing and ensure you are wearing a mask if you cannot maintain distance; cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue, wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. SOURCE: FIJI VILLAGE

With more than K10,000 in cash prizes to win, plus opportunities for the winners to retail their products in local shops, a new micro-SME business competition launched by Lily Magazine today aims to discover homemade PNG goods that stand out from the crowd. Called ‘HOMEMADE’, the product search is the biggest competition yet run by PNG’s top-selling women’s magazine and will include four categories: Edible, Wearable, Useful and Artistic. “We want to recognise and reward innovation wherever we find it,” Lily editor Margo Nugent said. “I keep hearing about small local businesses that are creating really different products, from the guy making paper bags from Mekeo banana trees to a woman weaving dried Gulf river reeds into beautiful hoop earrings and the little girl using the wax from her family’s Goroka honeybees to make scented lip balm. “Our judging panel will be looking for products that are distinctly original, preferably made from PNG materials, with extra credit going to those who have invented something to fix a particular problem or to meet a particular need that nobody else has met.” All the winning products, along with a selection of the finalists, will be showcased in the next January 2022 issue of Lily to give a promotional platform to the businesses and provide a handy shopping guide for readers. ‘Homemade’ will incorporate four categories: 1. EDIBLE From farm to table: eg. crops, fish and livestock through to condiments and baked goods 2. WEARABLE eg. clothes, shoes, jewellery, hats 3. USEFUL eg. toys, kitchen gadgets, tools, machines, camping items, furniture, furnishings, recyclables, skin care lines (soap, perfume, oils etc) 4. ARTISTIC Decorative pieces from any medium: eg. metal, timber, ceramics, stone, fibre The most innovative product chosen from these four category winners will win the grand prize of K6000 cash from sponsor partners Kina Bank, BSP and the PNG-Aus Partnership, along with an assistance package worth about K2000 from PNG-owned online SME consultancy agency Vai Virtual, including business name and trademark registration, and TIN lodgement. The runner-up will receive K2500 cash and the two other category winners will receive K1000 cash each from the PNG-Aus Partnership. All four category winners will receive a K250 gift voucher from Brian Bell Homecentres, while SME fashion and accessories label Maku Gifts/Lavagirl will assist with bringing the winning products of the wearable, useful and artistic categories to market through its gift stores, and CPL/Stop & Shop will assist with bringing the winning edible product to market in its supermarkets. Entries open today, Monday, December 6, 2021, and close on Friday, December 31, 2021. To enter, inbox the Lily PNG Facebook page, website www.lilymagazinepng.com or email lily@moore.com.pg A judging panel including Lily editor Margo Nugent and Maku Gifts owner Annette Sete, along with other sponsor partners, will decide on the winners to be announced in January 2022 upon release of the new Lily issue 25.