Australian MPs to discuss health issues

MEMBERS of the Australian Parliamentary Committee on Health and Ageing met with their Papua New Guinea counterparts yesterday to discuss health issues affecting the region.
The PNG delegation met with chairman of the PNG Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS, Jamie Maxtone-Graham, Department of Community Development Dame Carol Kidu and Health secretary Dr Clement Malau including representatives from United Nations AIDS programme and the Education Department.
The committee arrived on Monday and will be here until Sunday.
They will be speaking to ministers, Members of Parliament, experts and administrators working to improve health in PNG.
They will visit health facilities in Port Moresby and Daru, Western province.
Some of the issues the committee would be focusing on include
cross-border health and communicable health concerns such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, the rise of non-communicable diseases like diabetes in the region and the health impacts of climate change.
Committee chair, Steve Georganas said “The committee is particularly interested ito learn how it can work more closely with our neighbours in PNG on health matters.”
During the visit, the committee will visit health facilities such as the Well Baby Clinic, Poro Sapot and Igat Hope, the University of PNG Medical School and Daru Hospital.
When in Daru, the committee will also visit the Torres Strait Treaty villages of Mabadauan, Sigabadaru and Buji that are close to the Australian border. 
The Australian delegate includes four of the 10 committee members: Steve Georganas MP, Jill Hall MP, Amanda Rishworth MP and James Bidgood MP.