Cancers of mouth, breasts and cervix are amongst leading cause of death in the country, a health educator said this morning during the end of Niupela Pasin Walk and Yoga for Life program along the Paga Hill Ring Road.

PNG Cancer Foundation's Dr Sonia Dadae said two women were dying from cancer everyday.
She expressed concerns that cancer risk factors should be reduced to avoid it.
Dr Dadae cited chewing of betel nut, alcohol, smoking and unhealthy diet as risk factors.

​FLAWS in the health system and the medicine supply chain are because of poor management in the Health Department, with some officers “living extravagant lifestyles far beyond their salary”, according to a report.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Sir John Pundari tabled in Parliament yesterday the report on the inquiry which began in August last year into the supply, procurement and distribution of medicines.
Sir John said the responsibility “rests primarily on the management” of the department “who are custodians of our medicine supply chain and our people’s health”.
“Our medical supply and distribution systems have been compromised because the (health department) allowed this to happen by either complacency, incompetence, design and or greed,” Sir John said.
He said “numerous reports (had been received of senior officers of the department directly involved in the procurement of medicines, affording to living extravagant lifestyles, far beyond that which is expected from a normal public servant salary”.

THE Public Accounts Committee has recommended the setting up of a National Pharmaceutical Authority and to create a division within it to be responsible for medicine safety, regulation, licensing and testing.
It is one of the 12 recommendations tabled in Parliament yesterday by the committee which conducted on inquiry into the procurement, supply and distribution of medicines in the country.

​THE number of mentally ill patients in Papua New Guinea ranging from early as 13 years old is mainly caused by depression and drug use, says an official.
Laloki Psychiatric Hospital chief executive officer Dr Losavati Daugunu said the number of mental disorders in the country had increased.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, the most common causes of admissions in hospitals was depression.
She said there were different issues associated with mental health such as lifestyle, economic crisis, poverty, family issues and peer pressure.
Daugunu said in Papua New Guinea, the common age group range that was impacted by mental illness was between 15 and 29.

A SCHOOL in Port Moresby was forced to close last Thursday after a student tested positive for the Covid-19.
Principal of the Port Moresby International School Steven Rowley said in a newsletter issued to parents and guardians last week that the student was in grade seven.
“The National Control Centre incident manager Dr Daoni Essorom has confirmed with us that the student is from our school,” he said.
“A testing team was called in and an immediate test was carried out on the grade 7 class students and their teachers.”

​PEOPLE from all sorts of backgrounds are getting infected with Covid-19 including professionals, says National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning.
“Some people think this is a hoax, but the Covid-19 is real,” Manning who is also the Police Commissioner said in a statement.
He said there were nine new Covid-19 cases bringing the national total to 497 as of Sunday.

The Papua New Guinea government has not approved any trials on a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

Controller of the National Pandemic Response David Manning said this in response to Australia’s The Australian newspaper report that a Chinese mining company operating in PNG has claimed to have vaccinated its employees against COVID-19 in an apparent vaccination trial.

“The National Department of Health has not approved any vaccine trails in PNG. Any vaccines imported into PNG must be approved by NDoH and must go through vigorous vaccine trials, protocols and procedures and must be WHO pre-qualified and must be approved for use in PNG by NDoH, " Controller of the National Pandemic Response David Manning said.

We make this Statement as protest. Firstly for the manner the Public Health Emergency Bill 2020 was rushed into Parliament by the Government and passed on Friday 12 June 2020. There was no prior wider consultation, openness, and debate in Parliament. The law was rushed in total secrecy without justification. Secondly, the law has serious constitutional issues, lacking transparency and accountability for political expediency, which required greater consultation with all stakeholders prior to presentation in Parliament.

We are told that the Bill that was introduced in Parliament was different to the initial draft that was circulated to Members of Parliament prior to the Parliament sitting on Friday 12 June 2020. The following are our fundamental concerns.

The Rita Flynn Isolation Centre has reached its maximum capacity of 70, with the total confirmed COVID-19 cases now at 91.
Controller David Manning had earlier described the spike as 'truly alarming' with predictions that by the end of the month, with the rate of infections currently seen that the centre would be filled.
National Control Centre Incident Manager Dr. Daoni Esorom said they are now looking at setting up the Taurama Aquatic Centre in Port Moresby, to cater for a 300 bed facility.