Knowledge and Use of Maternal and Child Health Services by Mothers in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

A survey was conducted in the coastal area of Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea between March to April 1992 in order to obtain and examine the current health knowledge and practices of mothers with children under two years of age. The purpose of the survey was to gather data for the detailed planning and implementation of a Child Survival Intervention Project funded by USAID. A total of 30 villages in the area were selected utilizing the WHO 30-cluster sampling technique. The results indicated that breastfeeding was a very common practice. However, because nutritional intake was not increased during pregnancy and lactation for many of the women, it is likely that their nutritional intake was insufficient. Although many mothers knew the importance of immunization, they were unclear about the importance of completing immunization series. The utilization of contraceptive methods was very low among women who did not want to have another child within the subsequent two years. The most common methods were injections and pills.

The dissemination of health education to isolated rural villages is one of the most important interventions in reducing maternal and infant mortality. As there currently is no health education unit at the Morobe Provincial Department of Health. It is crucial to establish the unit and to emphasize the importance of health education as the tool for disease prevention and health promotion. Asia Pac J Public Health1994;7(3):191-3.