Papua New Guinea (PNG) has one of the highest prevalence rates of tuberculosis in the world, with 30,000 new cases reported every year. The high prevalence is such that the PNG government has declared a state of emergency in several provinces. 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is working with patients in PNG to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of one of the country’s leading causes of death.

As millions of Ukrainians pour over borders seeking safety, we’re urging Australians to bring their humanity to the polling booth at the upcoming election. 

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across Papua New Guinea, fear and concern around the virus and its treatments have become widespread. Combatting this fear is critical to preventing further spread of COVID-19. 

MSF teams are working to combat this stigma and fear—as well as improve physical and mental health—through phone counselling for those who have contracted COVID-19. 

Around the world, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams are working to ensure children receive the best healthcare possible. The stories below talk about the enormous challenges faced by these young patients and the impact of MSF programs on helping them survive and stay well. 

Papua New Guinea managed to avoid the worst of the global pandemic in 2020. Now, the country is enduring a severe COVID-19 outbreak that is threatening to overwhelm the health system.

Stigma and misinformation hamper efforts to fight off the coronavirus. Médecins Sans Frontières is providing psychological support to COVID-19 patients in PNG as the country continues to struggle with the outbreak. 

The health system in Papua New Guinea is on the brink of collapse as COVID-19 cases triple in a matter of weeks and increasing numbers of healthcare staff are testing positive, says Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). 

The Australian Government’s support for Papua New Guinea’s COVID-19 response is welcome, but is insufficient and too late, said Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Seven years. That’s how long many asylum seekers and refugees have been held on Nauru and Papua New Guinea, with still no end in sight. 

Seven years of various forms of detention, uncertainty about the future and a lack of control over even the basic details of their lives.  

Australia’s offshore processing system is dangerous, causing devastating mental health suffering. 

The mental health effects of self-isolation and restricted movement have been widely discussed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But what if that isolation was not self-imposed—and there was no end in sight?

Tankred Stöbe, MSF emergency coordinator, visited several countries in South-East Asia to assess their preparedness for potential outbreaks of COVID-19 and the support MSF could provide at this stage. He participated in training sessions with healthcare staff in a hepatitis C clinic in Phnom Penh A similar training was held in a hospital in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where MSF treats patients with tuberculosis. The training sessions helped to improve knowledge and reduce fear among the staff, two prerequisites for providing the best level of care to our patients.