The Papua New Guinea Medical Journal (PNG Med J) holds a unique place in the history of medicine and public health in the Pacific. First published in May 1955 under the title Papua and New Guinea Medical Journal, it emerged as a platform for sharing medical research and clinical experiences relevant to the then Territory of Papua and New Guinea. The idea for the journal was conceived by Dr. John F. G. Gunther, a physician and health administrator, who became the founding editor and authored the first editorial. Gunther envisioned a publication that could serve both as a record of local medical practice and as a means of communication among health professionals scattered across a geographically fragmented country.
Dr. John F. G. Gunther, founder of the PNG medical journal.
After the first few issues, editorial duties shifted to senior health officers in the Department of Public Health, including Kenneth W. Todd, who oversaw epidemiological reporting; Roy Scragg, who later edited a landmark issue on kuru; and Eric J. Wright, who served as editor in the early 1960s. These early editors laid the foundation for a journal that reflected the intersection of clinical medicine, public health, and the unique disease burdens of Melanesia.
Dr Roy Scragg who edited the landmark issue on Kuru.
Over the decades, the PNG Med J has continued to evolve in both structure and leadership. It is published under the auspices of the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea, with operational and editorial support from the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR). The journal has been closely linked to PNGIMR, which was established in 1968 and has grown into one of the leading medical research institutes in the Pacific. More recently, the Editor-in-Chief role has been held by Professor William S. Pomat, Director of PNGIMR, who is supported by an editorial committee of senior academics and clinicians including Professor Nakapi Tefuarani, president of the PNG medical society and Professor Francis Hombhanje, an expert in clinical pharmacology. These figures represent the newer generation of Papua New Guinean medical leaders who have carried the journal into the 21st century.
The journal’s publishing model has also changed significantly. For much of its history, it was issued quarterly in print, providing hard copies to medical officers across PNG’s hospitals, health centres, and missions. However, financial pressures and the high costs of printing and distribution meant that publication was often delayed or irregular. These challenges threatened the survival of the journal in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Recognising its value as a “national asset,” PNGIMR and the Medical Society worked to secure its future, leading to the digitisation of back issues and the development of an online presence. Today, the PNG Med J is published in partnership with CSIRO Publishing in Australia. It has adopted an open access, continuous publication model, where papers are released online as soon as they are ready, ensuring timely dissemination of new findings. Archives of earlier volumes have been made freely available through the PNGIMR website, broadening access to historical research.
The Papua New Guinea Medical Journals.
The scope of the PNG Med J reflects the health priorities of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region. It publishes original research articles, reviews, case reports, program evaluations, and health policy analyses. Its content has historically included groundbreaking reports on kuru, malaria, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections, alongside studies of maternal and child health, trauma, non-communicable diseases, and health service delivery. In recent years, the journal has carried studies such as cost-of-illness analyses of traumatic brain injuries and forearm fractures at Port Moresby General Hospital, investigations into outcomes of obstetric complications like retained placenta, and evaluations of vaccination uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles also frequently address broader health systems issues, such as the accessibility of rural outreach clinics, the performance of referral networks, and the challenges of delivering care in remote provinces. This balance between clinical and public health research makes the journal particularly relevant to PNG’s dual burden of communicable and non-communicable disease.
The Papua New Guinea Medical Journal is not just a publication but an institution in its own right, documenting seventy years of medical research, practice, and public health in one of the most diverse and challenging healthcare environments in the world. It remains the primary outlet for health research in PNG, giving voice to local challenges and solutions while contributing knowledge of global significance. Follow this link to have access to recent PNGMJ publications https://www.publish.csiro.au/mj/content#:~:text=To%20access%20the%20previous%20volumes%20%28Years%202004-2019%29%2C%20please,that%20we%20live%20and%20work%20on%20across%20Australia.
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