HEALTH

PNG leads in mental wellbeing

On Tuesday, Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Jelta Wong inked the proclamation and birth of Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s Directorate For Social Change And Mental Health Services. World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Dr Sevil Huseynova was all praise for the PNG Government’s recognition of mental health services.“Not only has PNG taken the lead care in the Pacific, it is also one of the very few countries in the world that have given such official importance to mental health care,” she added.

WHEN there is no peace of mind, it is difficult for individuals to function (rationally), WHO representative Dr Sevil says.
“For PNG to recognise this and to promote mental health care services is therefore commendable. Not many cities (countries) are there yet on this health issue,” she added.
Sevil said: “Good mental health is critical to well-functioning societies. This is especially true during times of crisis, as seen in (the ongoing) Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the significance of mental health as integral to everyone’s well-being.
“WHO’s new regional framework for the future of mental health in the Western Pacific extends the vision future mental health agenga.
“We envision to support member states in designing national strategies, plans and policies on mental health, strengthen political advocacy for resources and commitment.
“We aim to encourage coordination and collaboration among partners to help build better mental health systems that are more resilient to future health emergencies.”

Sevil added: “(For too long) instead of receiving care and support, too many people living with mental health conditions are neglected, confined at home, placed in isolation, or worse are relegated to correctional facilities which further exacerbates their condition.
“Limited data on the mental health status of vulnerable populations makes it difficult to design appropriate interventions and demand accountability.”
“The integration of mental health services into primary health care thus remains a challenge. The historical reliance on specialist services has perpetuated an overly biomedical approach to mental health care.”
Sevil said political leadership for mental health often lacked vision due to limited understanding of the full scale of the burden of the disease, including its social and economic on communities and the country.
She outlined the following three strategies for people to enjoy the highest level of mental health and well-being:
REFOCUSING the mental health agenda to include well-being and reaching the unreached through leadership that champions mental health in all policies and strategies generated upwards;
TRANSFORMING mental health support and care into a community-based ecosystem of health and social services and innovations, enabled by an expanded and well-trained mental health workforce; and
EMBEDDING mental health into the settings and journeys of daily life by engaging and empowering communities with tools and platforms that enhance protective factors, fostering social interventions and partnerships that co-benefit mental health and other social sectors.
Health and HIV Minister Jelta Wong said the Government recognised the need to care for and treat mental health, and provide importance to mental care to everyone.

“Many with mental health disease have been ostracised which should not be the case. This cannot continue unabated.
“They just need help. Also, the socio-economic disruption by the pandemic has shown us how important it is for the people to be mentally fit and strong. This comes with care,” he added.
Wong added that the directorate was also tasked with the mission to help ensure the success of three policies – National Mental Health Policy, National Policy on Traditional Medicine and National Alcohol Policy.
Directorate chairman Cardinal Sir John Ribat: “We are now able to officially operate independently to promote good mental health and care, especially for children and the elderly.
“We have to move forward for success and that can only be achieved with dedicated and committed staff,” he added.
Directorate acting director Dr Uma Ambi said the Government, namely the Health Ministry, had made an extremely and significant move for the mental health and care of Papua New Guineans.
“The Government has made the difference in mental health care by investing on the mind for the people and country,” she added.
Uma is a long-time columnist of The National who contributes every Thursday under the column “Ambi’s Mind Watch”.

Studies in leadership in development at DWU

By KEVIN PAMBA
THE Charter of Papua New Guinea’s Divine Word University provides the basis for its existence as a higher learning institution.
The DWU Charter, as the principle guiding document, reads in part:V “As a Christian institution, it shall serve national objectives simultaneously with Church purposes.”
“The Church’s broad philosophy of education, based on its broad view of the nature of man, causes the Church’s expectations of the institution to cater to the total human development of every individual involved with the institute. No conflict is seen between national goals and church expectations.”
DWU, as an institution of higher education operating in a developing country is constantly summoned by the Charter to “serve national objectives simultaneously with Church purposes”.
The academic programs the university offers or the new ones it introduces from time to time are done so within the ambit of the call of the Charter – that is, a Christian institution ought to serve national objectives simultaneously with Church purposes.
Few years ago, DWU introduced the Master of Leadership in Development program as another testament to the university serving national objectives.
The university felt a stand-alone postgraduate program in “leadership in development” in a developing country like PNG was critical and imperative.
The aim of this targeted masters programme reads: “The Master of Leadership in Development (MLD) program recognizes the needs articulated in PNG’s Vision 2050 for human capital development and people empowerment for responsible sustainable development for Papua New Guinea.
“The Master of Leadership in Development (MLD) program is a response to national growth and development in PNG and in keeping pace with the demands of global competitiveness.
“It will equip graduates with knowledge and competencies to become ethically oriented, socially responsible leaders and managers in development in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Pacific Region and beyond. 
The thrust of this masters program targeted at “leadership in development” points to the global development agendas such as those promoted by the United Nations.
The UN, in its ongoing quest to promote global development in member nations, particularly in the developing world, put in place the “Declaration of the Right to Development” in December 1986.
The 1986 UN Declaration of the Right to Development has 10 Articles and it articulates the notion of “development” in the following way: “ … development is a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process, which aims at the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of benefits resulting therefrom.”
Article 1.1 of the Declaration classifies “the right to development” as “an inalienable human right”, meaning it is a right that cannot be restrained by other human laws: “The right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.
Article 1.2 adds: “The human right to development also implies the full realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, which includes, subject to the relevant provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources.”
Those leading development work in countries like PNG have much responsibility on their hands to ensure people’s “right to development” is promoted and facilitated as “an inalienable human right”, nothing less.
This is where academic programs such as the Master of Leadership in Development offered by DWU come to bear. The Master of Leadership in Development is one of two masters degree programs housed in the Department of Governance and Leadership within DWU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The other is the Master of Public Administration. Both masters programs are offered to working professionals at this time, through the flexible learning mode of study. Those interested can contact the Flexible Learning Centre through email address: [email protected]

• Dr Kevin Pamba PhD is a senior lecturer in Governance and Leadership in DWU.