The Santos funded Oil Search Foundation (OSF) and the Department of Health have signed a partnership agreement setting out how OSF will support implementation of the National Health Plan (NHP) 2021-2030.
The agreement was signed at a recent meeting by Santos funded OSF Executive Director, Stephanie Copus-Campbell, Southern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (PHA) Board Chair and Health Department Secretary, Dr Osbourne.
The theme of the NHP is ‘Leaving no-one behind. Together we can do it.’ Building effective multi-sectoral partnerships, including with the private sector, is also a key cross cutting theme in the NHP to improve health indicators across the country.
The local, private sector foundation, OSF presented its approach to partnership which supports all levels of government and community. In Port Moresby, OSF assists partners including NDoH with planning and coordination and technical advice.
At the provincial level, it works closely with PHAs in Hela, Southern Highlands and Gulf and provides, direct assistance to district health facilities and communities.
Ms Copus-Campbell noted the progress made through this partnership model. She said the Foundation supports the NHP by working at all levels of Government and community to help strengthen health systems including governance support, supporting improved financial and administrative functions, planning and monitoring and evaluation.
She noted that this partnership approach is leading to real outcomes. Currently, at the national level OSF is supporting improved COVID-19 responses through providing essential logistics, partner coordination and performance monitoring support to improve the flow of medical supplies and the uptake of vaccines.
At a provincial level, Ms Copus-Campbell pointed to major achievements in health outcomes in the three provinces the Foundation supports including significant improvements across most aspects of health service delivery.
“Our support has helped PHAs achieve excellent health infrastructure, a better flow of medical supplies, quality training of health staff, improved health governance and ultimately healthier communities’.
‘Beyond the support to the architecture of the PHA we support in the areas of TB, family planning, family and sexual violence responses, malaria, routine immunisation, maternal and child health and emerging areas of WaSH and Cervical Cancer,” she said.
Secretary Liko said that partnerships like the one with OSF is more important than ever given the many challenges PNG faces including the need to continue to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and other threats
A development partner in Papua New Guinea to health security. He thanked OSF’s parent company, Santos for its commitment to partnership at all levels noting they provided a model for others to adopt.
“Partnership is at the core of everything we do,” he said.
“We cannot face these challenges alone. This MoU sets a precedent for the extractive industry and the corporate sector to partner with us to help us implement the National Health Plan.”