O’Neill thanks US for backing healthcare

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has thanked United States government for the ongoing healthcare engagement and its support towards Papua New Guinea’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (Apec) summit next year.
“Delivering healthcare programmes and promoting awareness on how people can avoid contracting serious diseases is a priority for our government and our partners in the United States government,” O’Neill said after he met with United State’s Ambassador to PNG Catherine Ebert-Gray, in Port Moresby.
“We are working together on healthcare challenges. And this is delivering results to successfully reduce these diseases.
“One of the greatest challenges we face in reducing tuberculosis, particularly in the Gulf and Western provinces, is expanding education and awareness, so that people complete their medication cycles.”
O’Neill said the Government would implement a programme to enable drug-resistant TB patients to attend healthcare facilities, where they could receive their full medication treatment and not risk passing TB to loved ones.
“Our government is working to provide housing facilities for patients in Gulf and Western,” he said.