Papua New Guinea

Intentional violence — including intercommunal fighting, family violence, and sexual and gender-based assaults, as well as attacks linked to sorcery accusations — remains a major cause of injury and trauma in Papua New Guinea. But due to the country’s rugged terrain and limited services, many remote communities struggle to access adequate care.   

In Jiwaka province, MSF supports provincial health authorities to improve care for victims and survivors of violence and bring it closer to their homes. We work at Minj Health Center and in surrounding communities, including four health posts. We aim to strengthen referrals and follow-up care for all forms of violence and to improve privacy and confidentiality.

To increase clinical skills in the country, we deliver a training package covering medical and psychological first aid, wound care, and treatment for victims and survivors of gender-based violence, backed by donations of medical supplies. In 2025, our teams conducted training sessions across 15 facilities. MSF identified community health volunteers to share information, provide basic first aid, and refer victims and survivors of violence to health facilities for further care, working in collaboration with the provincial health promotion division.