Village health volunteers (VHVs)

Officer-in-charge of the Aseki Health Centre, Sister Mathilda Maborai, said their village health volunteers work long hours alone, without pay and without proper equipment and supplies.

The village health volunteers of Menyamya district work in one of the most remote and marginalised areas of Morobe Province.

Sr Maborai said the 12 VHVs of Poiyu village, in the Nanima-Kariba Rural LLG, were trained 15 years ago, and under only one of three modules, which is safe motherhood.

This was made possible thanks to the North Fly District Health Services Development Program (NFHSDP).

The six-week training course ended with a week of practical and observation attachments to Kiunga Hospital before the VHV participants obtained their certificates.

NFHSDP’s rural health care coordinator, Kalabe Yabaimanta, said the training program was vital as VHVs are the first point of contact in rural areas for any health-related issue.