Forum tackles mortality rate

 A CONFERENCE will be held next week to encourage greater participation of men in maternal and child health to help reduce mortality rates and foster healthier families, an agency says. 

It is embedded in culture that pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing are women’s job while men have not played much of a role, the National Catholic Health and HIV Services said. 

The conference will be hosted by the National Catholic Health and HIV Services and the Burnet Institution, at the Emmaus Conference Centre (Don Bosco Technical Institute), on Oct 22 and 23. 

There is a growing recognition that men have a critical role to play in maternal and child health, the services said. 

The conference will look at the participation of men in maternal and child health, the challenges and risks of getting them more involved and strategies to encourage greater involvement. 

Health and HIV Minister Michael Malabag is expected to open the conference  and former kickboxing world champion and father of three, Stanley Nandex, is expected to deliver the keynote address.  

It is expected that the conference will address many of the issues that contribute to high mortality rates and will suggest realistic strategies of going forward. 

The conference serves an important cause as Papua New Guinea, in the Asia-Pacific region, has the highest mortality rates, the National Catholic Health and HIV Services said.