Marie Stopes PNG has launched a newly established maritime outreach team in Milne Bay Province. The team will be providing family planning services to the people living on the Milne Bay islands and along the mainland coastline.
Marie Stopes Country Director, Mr Maarten van de Reep who witnessed the launching for the new team there said the goal of the team is to provide access to family planning to the people in far flung places across the provinces that otherwise would not be able to access these services.
The new team is the latest addition to the Marie Stopes PNG team.
“Family planning is widely considered as one of the most cost effective interventions to improve maternal health and promote sustainable population growth.
“Papua New Guinea continues to have some of the poorest health outcomes in the Asia Pacific region. This is particularly evident for maternal and child health and sexual and reproductive health indicators.” he said.
According to national health statistics, maternal mortality is extremely high and has increased two fold since 1996.
By empowering women and girls to choose when, if and how many children to have, they can expect a better education as well as improved health and wellbeing for themselves and their families.
“Marie Stopes PNG works in partnership with the National Department of Health in implementing the National Family Planning Policy.
“Through clinics and outreach teams, such as the newly established Milne Bay maritime outreach team, Marie Stopes PNG assists the NDoH in ensuring more people in PNG have to choice- and opportunity to make use of family planning options”, said Mr Maarten van de Reep.
Other locations where the organisation provides family planning services are National Capital District, Morobe, Madang, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Milne Bay, Central, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Enga and Southern Highlands provinces.
File picture from the Marie Stopes Papua New Guinea FB page