PNG Medical Blog

The Papua New Guinea Medical Symposium is held every year to bring together local and international researchers and medical practioners to address national health issues. This year the symposium will be hosted by the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority in Mt Hagen. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Burden of Trauma and its impact on Health and Socioeconomic Wellbeing”.

Come September, health professionals and researchers will gather to formulate national recommendations that will be presented to the National Department on Health to guide decision making in health policy and financing that should address the burden of trauma within the country. The recommendations will be formed from the summary of research papers that will be presented during this one-week event.

This year’s theme on trauma is both timely and crucial given the recent urban and tribal gun violence in Papua New Guinea. The World Health Organization estimates that 5.8 million people die each year as a result of traumatic injuries with over 90% of deaths occurring in low to middle income countries like Papua New Guinea. In fact, deaths now from trauma account for 32% more fatality than AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria combined.

Medical symposiums that are held every year in Papua New Guinea aim to provide scientific base evidence to the government of the day. Basically, how can the medical fraternity advise the government on addressing the burden of trauma in Papua New Guinea.

Concurrently the symposium will allow for:

1. Knowledge sharing: provide a platform for healthcare professionals to share their latest research findings, clinical experiences, and best practices on trauma. This exchange of knowledge helps disseminate new information and innovations throughout the medical community, leading to improvements in patient care.
2. Networking: Symposiums bring together trauma experts, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from diverse backgrounds and specialties. Networking opportunities at these events facilitate collaboration, idea generation, and the formation of interdisciplinary partnerships that can lead to advancements in trauma care.
3. Professional development: Workshops, panel discussions, and keynote presentations provide valuable learning opportunities that contribute to ongoing professional growth and competence of those managing trauma patients.
4. Addressing challenges and emerging issues: By convening experts to discuss issues related to trauma, the symposium can help identify gaps in knowledge, policy, and practice, as well as develop strategies for addressing them effectively.
5. Promoting collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches: Many health issues require interdisciplinary solutions that draw on expertise from multiple fields. The symposium provides a platform for professionals from different disciplines to collaborate, share perspectives, and work together to tackle complex problems holistically related to trauma.
6. Promoting evidence-based practice: The symposium will emphasize the importance of evidence-based practice, encouraging healthcare professionals to integrate the latest research findings and clinical guidelines into their decision-making processes. This focus on evidence helps improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of patient care.
7. Advocacy and policy influence: The symposium will serve as a forum for discussing healthcare policy, advocacy efforts, and public health initiatives to address trauma. By engaging policymakers, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders, this symposium can help shape trauma related policies and practices at local, national, and international levels.

The challenge however in Papua New Guinea is translating the evidence that is presented and discussed in symposiums into clinically tangible health policies and practice that is felt by every Papua New Guinean citizen.