All women have the right to healthcare, especially when they are due to deliver. Basic interventions to prevent infection are helping save lives at Papua New Guinea’s largest public hospital. Through the corridors of Port Moresby General Hospital, hardworking midwives are committed to reducing infection as they prepare for another day bringing our newest Papua New Guineans into the world. WHO estimates neonatal infections result in over 550,000 deaths every year, globally. Almost all are entirely preventable with basic interventions. With the delivery of 40 maternal health kits to Port Moresby General Hospital, midwives report the rate of neonatal deaths has decreased up to 80%. “From experiencing an average of 60 neonatal deaths per month in 2021, in July we saw a significant drop to 17 deaths!” shared Midwifery Society President Sr Mary Sitaing. “In the month of September, we had only 7 neonatal deaths.” “This is more than 80% decrease,” said Sr Mary. “Thanks to the maternity kits that were provided, we were able to ensure safe deliveries.” The kits contain 40 pieces of obstetric equipment, including scissors and trays. According to Sr. Mary, the 40 midwifery kits given to the Maternity Ward were further divided into 160 bundles, 80 for deliveries and 80 for sutures. “The 80 delivery sets include scissors, a sponge holder, a hemostat (clamp), and the delivery trays. Included in the 80 sutures sets are the dissecting forceps and the suture trays,” said Sr Mary. “A woman coming into delivery has one clean bundle to herself which means safe deliveries, with practically nil chances of neonatal sepsis and death.” “Proper infection prevention during the entire process from delivery of the baby to the proper stitching of the mother, is equally important to minimize infections and we were able to achieve this with our clean bundles from UNFPA.” Sr. Roselyn Tunijo who has been a midwife for almost 40 years, rejoined the midwifery team at Port Moresby General after being away since 2011. She expressed her sheer delight in the fact that, unlike when she left, individual mothers delivering had a delivery tray to themselves, thanks to the midwifery kits. “We used to share delivery trays between mothers which greatly increased the risk of cross-infection,” she shared. “The last time the hospital received new delivery trays and important birthing tools was almost 14 years ago.” “Thanks to UNFPA we do not have this dilemma anymore. I came back to the Labour Ward after a time away and I now enjoy delivering babies knowing that we have the adequate tools to ensure best practice.” Sr. Mary Sitaing explained that these tools are standard pieces of equipment that should be given to the Labour Ward by the hospital annually. “While we thank UNFPA for stepping in, the hospital must put more emphasis on our women, and take into consideration delivery kits such as this and delivery beds as well,” she said. “The same way funds and attention are put into public health, the same must be done for maternal health and the Labour ward.” “We thank UNFPA for this support which will last us for years to come.” The team also received one stethoscope for each midwife and 400 thermometers. The team gave 40 thermometers to the Madang Provincial Health Authority. UNFPA works to deliver a world with zero preventable maternal deaths. With the provision of these kits, and with support to strengthen supply chain management for essential medicines and equipment, UNFPA continues to support midwives and other workers in achieving this mission.

The Rural Airstrip Agency of Papua New Guinea has appointed Kim Opiti as its next Chief Executive Officer. Mrs Opiti rejoins the RAA to succeed Hau’ofa Sailasa, who held the position in an interim capacity for 12 months. RAA chairman Stephen Charlesworth said it was an exciting appointment which followed a competitive selection process. “The board is confident that Mrs. Opiti is the right candidate to lead the RAA through its next phase of development,” Mr. Charlesworth said. “Her knowledge, qualifications, and leadership experience, particularly in corporate functions, combined with her strong capacity, innovation, and drive, will significantly strengthen the RAA and prepare the organization for sustainable growth over the next few years efficiently utilizing government and institutional grants.” He said Mrs. Opiti’s passion to see development across rural PNG, home to ninety percent of the nation’s population, was an important factor. The RAA, which has a vision to restore and maintain rural airstrips, is a PNG Government funded initiative that is supported by Mission Aviation Fellowship. Mrs Opiti said the RAA faced funding challenges, but she was confident that the organisation was in good shape. “I believe my experience in business and my previous roles with the RAA have equipped me to take on this role,” she said. “We will continue to make the case for funding because airstrips are a lifeline for rural communities in PNG, bringing economic opportunities and access to healthcare.”

“BSP Financial Group Limited will migrate to the new Core Banking System – Flexcube in April 2023,” says BSP Acting Group CEO Ronesh Dayal. “This is a short delay of a few weeks compared to the earlier anticipated go-live date of late February 2023, but necessary to enable a smooth transition to the new Core Banking System, assured Dayal. The transition to the new Core Banking System is an integral part of the Group’s vision to be the leading financial services provider in our chosen markets, helping customers, staff, shareholders, and communities prosper, reiterated Dayal. Dayal said while legacy systems are inherent in large institutions, BSP has taken on the challenge to execute the necessary changes by migrating to the new Core Banking System that will place BSP in a better position against our competitors. “The new Core Banking System will deliver an enhanced customer experience for all our customers, providing a greater range of digitally enabled services making it simple and efficient for customers,” added Dayal. BSP Group General Manager for Retail, Daniel Faunt also outlined the changes that will come with new Core Banking System emphasizing on Internet Banking features and enhancements. “The new Core Banking system will include enhancements to existing Internet Banking functionalities and for the first time customers will have access to our market leading banking App – the BSP App,” Said Faunt. “BSP App will be downloadable from the Apple App Store or Google Playstore and will deliver all of the functionality you will get on Internet Banking making it easier and convenient for our customers. Customers will be able to do almost all banking transactions via the BSP App,” explained Faunt while commenting on the new BSP App. “With BSP App, customers can be able to transfer money, apply for personal loan, open term deposit, top up phone credits to name a few, all at their fingertips,” Faunt further explained. “Most of the changes that will come with the new Core Banking System have been communicated to our customers through various platforms. Our Relationship Managers and branch staff are also communicating the changes to our customers. This is ongoing and we will continue to inform our customers on the changes. These changes are mostly beneficial to both our customers and the bank,” said Dayal. BSP is calling on all its customers to follow BSP Social Media pages, visit the BSP Website or call into the nearest branch to access information and updates on the BSP Core Banking System upgrade in preparation for GO Live in April.

The United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is happy to announce the application window is open for the 2023 cohort of USAID’s PROJECT Governance scholarships for graduate students from the Pacific Islands.  Applicants from Papua New Guinea are welcome to apply online through the link: www.eastwestcenter.org/apply/project-governance-graduate-fellowship-application   Applications will close on March 1, 2023.  The one-year, fully funded fellowship is designed to support exceptional, rising leaders from Pacific Island countries in professional degrees at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in the fields of finance, law, and information systems.   Applicants must meet the following criteria: be between ages 23-35 years old; be a citizen of an eligible country, meet academic prerequisites for admission to the University of Hawai‘i; be working in a profession relevant to USAID's PROJECT Governance goals (sound governance, just governance, responsive governance); and be able to travel to and reside in Hawai‘i for the duration of their study from August 2023 to May 2024. The fellowship will provide the following benefits: Full tuition, fees, and books for graduate study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; J-1 visa sponsorship; Housing in East-West Center residence halls; Health insurance; Monthly stipend for living expenses; Roundtrip travel between home and Honolulu; Orientation and enrichment programs at the East-West Center; Participation in PROJECT Governance activities. For more information, please visit the link above. PROJECT Governance is a five-year initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen democratic institutions and promote sound, just, and responsive governance in the Pacific, in collaboration with governments and community organizations in twelve Pacific Island Countries. The project is a partnership among the East-West Center (EWC), The Pacific Community (SPC), CARE, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).  As fellows pursue their degree studies, they join an active, international community of several hundred graduate students from over 40 countries and more than 50 fields of study, living together at the East-West Center. The fellows will also participate directly in PROJECT Governance activities, collaborating with project partners in governance trainings and events both during and after their professional studies at the University of Hawai'i, and contributing to the creation of a stronger blue pacific. To learn more about the PROJECT Governance Graduate Fellowships, please visit the Fellowship application page, or contact EWC directly at scholarships@eatwestcenter.org.

Wests Tigers is delighted to announce Apisai Koroisau has been appointed team captain for 2023. The announcement was made at Wests Tigers official season launch on the waterfront at Iron Cove, where more than 300 VIP guests had the chance to mingle with their team. The three-time NRL premiership-winner has enjoyed his first few months at his new club and is thrilled to become the team’s leader. “To be asked to lead this team in my first year at the club, means a lot,” said Koroisau. This is a terrific group of players, and I am honoured to be their captain. Api Koroisau "From the moment I joined this club, my family and I have been made to feel so welcome. “It’s been a great start to my time as a Wests Tigers player and I look forward to helping this team and this club be the best it can be." [caption id="attachment_36130" align="alignnone" width="840"] Our 2023 squad at Wests Tigers official season launch[/caption] Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens says Koroisau is a natural leader.   “We have several very capable leaders in this team, and Api is one of them,” said Sheens. He is very well respected within the group, and I know he’ll do a great job. Tim Sheens “I congratulate him on earning the role.” Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe believes Koroisau will excel as team captain. “In the short time he’s been with us, Api has demonstrated and embraced our core values as a club,” said Pascoe. His leadership on the field is vitally important, as is what he does in other areas of our business. Justin Pascoe “I think it’s a tremendous appointment and I’m sure he will thrive with the added responsibility.” Wests Tigers play their second Pre-season Challenge game this Sunday against Canberra Raiders at Belmore. Source: NRL.Com

BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) has reopened two (2) of its branches in the country after its operations were subject to security issues last year. BSP Retail Group General Manager Daniel Faunt said these branches are among 21 locations in PNG where BSP is the only bank operating and complete withdrawal of services would have a detrimental impact on the community. “Despite the cost associated with running 42 branches and 42 sub-branches, which too often become subject to criminal activities, BSP remains committed to expand and extend its services to cater for the number of customers it has. Not only does the bank provide banking services, we also invest in supporting the development of the townships through our annual community projects in health, education, sports, culture and Financial Literacy,” Mr Faunt said. BSP Pangia Sub-Branch in Southern Highlands reopened its doors on Wednesday 11th January, 2023, after it was closed for more than two (2) months due to operational issues. BSP Navo Sub-Branch in West New Britain Province which closed on Monday 21st November, 2022, following a break and enter incident reopened its doors on Thursday 9th February 2023. “While BSP is pleased to return and resume services at Navo, any further criminal act against bank staff and property in the area will make it difficult for BSP to once again consider re-opening the sub branch,” added Mr Faunt. Koroba Hybrid Branch in Hela Province was also closed in 2022 due to law and order issues and that branch remains closed until the situation improves. BSP Chuave Sub-Branch remains closed indefinitely after the office complex, which BSP operates from, was ransacked during the National elections in August last year. BSP’s Porgera Branch was closed on Monday 9th May, 2022, following security concerns, mostly related to the 2022 National General Elections and tribal fighting in the Porgera Valley. BSP was forced to repatriate staff and their families out of the province for their safety and continues to monitor the situation with a view to reestablishing its branch operations as soon as it is safe to do so for its staff. In 2022, BSP opened new branches in Palmalmal in Pomio, East New Britain; Namatanai in New Ireland, Eriku in Lae, Morobe, Lending Centre in NCD with work commencing on branches in Dobel, Mt Hagen, Western Highlands and Telefomin, West Sepik both of which will open in 2023. BSP acting GCEO, Ronesh Dayal commented that ‘It is a very costly exercise to run banking services in remote parts of the country, especially when no other bank is willing to go, given the financial and security risks associated with it. BSP is the only bank bringing services to these parts of the country and that commitment must be reciprocated,” Mr Dayal reiterated the need for the people and the leaders of the communities in which BSP branches are located in, to look after its staff and facilities to ensure continuity of banking services.

The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNG Unitech) is proudly empowering and encouraging women to pursue technical education, with a panel dialogue on 10 February 2023 to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Equal participation by women in technical careers is vital for PNG to participate in the modern workforce and global economy. This includes supporting women and girls to complete technical education, to build the skills and confidence to participate in this essential field. However, despite extensive efforts by the global community and in PNG, women and girls continue to be excluded from fully participating in STEM education and careers. The event themed ‘Shifting the Balance: Building the NEXGenGirls in STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics) featured speeches from Unitech Chancellor, Dame Jean Kekedo, and Ms Diane Barclay, Minister Counsellor at the Australian High Commission. Ms Barclay highlighted both the opportunities for PNG through investments in STEM, as well as the extensive support Australia is providing to support women and girls in STEM in PNG. “Without high quality, locally-delivered STEM education, women will not progress to careers in STEM. Australia is proud to support women and girls in STEM in primary, secondary and tertiary education, as well as through our infrastructure and health investments,” Ms Barclay said. “This includes Australia Awards scholarships and short courses, investments in university infrastructure to support more places for women STEM students and working with contractors to employ women in nontraditional roles such as engineering, as seen at the ANGAU redevelopment project,” Ms Barclay concluded. The event also included a panel of prominent leaders and role models including Ms Michelle Silip, Civil Engineering Lab Manager at Unitech, Ms Rachel Nurvue, Founder of PNG Women in Construction, and Ms Georgina Kiele, Executive Manager, Cybersecurity and Digital Government Standards, Department of Information, Communication & Technology. “Our country is now at a juncture where more women and girls are venturing into professions that have been perceived for so many years to be professions for men only. Promoting women and girls in STEM is the way forward for PNG to harness the untapped potential of its human resources,” said Dame Jean Kekedo. The event is just one-way Unitech is actioning its commitment to getting more women and girls into technical education. It has increased enrolment of female students in STEM courses by 2.6% between 2015 and 2022; through the Incentive Fund grant, the University hopes to further increase that with the construction of new accommodation for women students including those studying STEM subjects. The achievements of women in science have not always been recognised, but today’s event is an opportunity to give prominence to equity and inclusiveness and outline a different future for women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths.

The SP Sports Awards is the nation’s biggest and only award ceremony that recognizes the sporting achievements of PNG’s top elite athletes. This year’s theme is “Make A Difference. Stop the Violence” which aims to raise awareness of sporting violence on the part of both participants and spectators. “Sports unites people and inspires a nation to win,” says SP Brewery Corporate Affairs Manager John Nilkare. “However, the increase in sporting violence is becoming a concern. Violence on the playing field sets a bad example for impressionable young Papua New Guineans. Unruly crowd behaviour can spoil a pleasant family outing.” He added. Nilkare also announced that nominations can be submitted online via the online nomination form and encouraged everyone to send in their nominations for the following categories: The categories are: 1. Male Athlete of the Year 2. Female Athlete of the Year 3. Team of the Year 4. National Performance of the Year 5. Junior Male Athlete of the Year 6. Junior Female Athlete of the Year 7. Community Sports Initiative 8. Best Sports Person Living with a Disability 9. Sports Official of the Year 10. Sports Media of the Year

The Kansas City Chiefs have won their second Super Bowl in the past four seasons, downing the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes appeared to overcome re-aggravating his ankle injury in the first half, rallying the Chiefs in the second to a victory that puts the team in a “dynasty” conversation. The Chiefs also won the Super Bowl in 2020 and reached the title game in 2021. Mahomes threw three touchdown passes to three receivers, Isiah Pacheco ran for one score and linebacker Nick Bolton scored on a fumble return. Kicker Harrison Butker made the winning 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining. “It was just all heart. We knew we didn’t play our best in the first half,” tight end Travis Kelcie said when told Kansas City scored on every drive after intermission. He said some players, given the enormity of the moment, played out of character in the first half. “And we were just able to regroup at halftime and figure it out. In that second half we were just flying around.” Source: CNN

Rihanna delivered an electrifying and hit-heavy half-time show at Sunday's Super Bowl, but social media went into meltdown when the singer revealed an unexpected special guest. In an interview last week, Rihanna was asked in if there would be any surprises during her performance at Arizona's State Farm Stadium. "I'm thinking about bringing someone," the Bajan singer replied. "I'm not sure, we'll see." Naturally, fans assumed she was talking about one of the many artists she's collaborated with during her illustrious career. A guest spot from Jay-Z, Drake or Eminem seemed both likely and in keeping with the half-time show tradition of surprise duets. But Rihanna wasn't referring to any of them. Although nobody twigged at the time, she was in fact hinting that she was pregnant with her second child. The singer may have failed to debut any new music during her performance at Sunday's Super Bowl, but the baby bump she debuted instead almost broke the internet. Wearing an all-red custom jumpsuit by Loewe, Rihanna appeared on one of several floating platforms which soared high above the crowd, as a swarm of energetic dancers, all dressed in white, gathered below. The crowd went wild as the singer launched straight into Better Have My Money - a somewhat ironic opener considering she is not being paid for her Super Bowl performance (as is custom for half-time headliners). As the 34-year-old dazzled the audience from on high, her dancers performed beneath her at breakneck speed, in a display of razor-sharp choreography which they would maintain throughout the whole performance. The singer rattled through several of her most recognisable hits, front-loading her set with some of her most danceable and up-tempo numbers including Only Girl (In The World) and the excellent Where Have You Been. It was a half-time show which was not short on spectacle. Fireworks were let off above the stadium as she launched into the euphoric We Found Love. While rumours that the star might take the opportunity to perform new music failed to materialise, the decision to rely on her extensive back catalogue, one of the strongest in pop music, was a sensible one. The singer packed a huge number of hits into a tight 14-minute set, often only performing the first verse or chorus of certain songs. But monster hits such as Rude Boy were balanced with the somewhat harder-edged and lesser-known Pour It Up. Elsewhere, the set took advantage of some of her biggest collaborations - but without any of her collaborators actually joining her on stage, somewhat disappointingly. As she performed Run This Town, All of the Lights and Wild Thoughts, there were no appearances from Jay-Z, Ye (formerly Kanye West) or DJ Khaled, who normally feature on those tracks. But their absence didn't matter. By this point, everyone's attention was firmly on an entirely different, and very visible, special guest. Source: BBC

Villagers in the north-west of Vanuatu's Santo island urgently need clean drinking water after the area was hit by Cyclone Gabrielle. Malpoi has been severely impacted by landslides and mud. The Santo Sunset Environment Women's Network (SSEWN) said the village's main water-source is contaminated and houses and gardens have been destroyed. Chairman of the network Allan Taman said the villagers need water and building materials. "The main thing they need is water because their water source is destroyed. They said because they have relocated out of the village to the new sites they need materials to build houses." Taman also said the villagers need long-term financial support as their plantations were destroyed in the landslide. "In that village they use cocoa and they plant Kava to earn money but the landslide has taken away all of that," he said. "So, now they have no incomes, they can plant now but it needs more years to come for them to harvest their product to earn money again but for now for a while they need something to help them." Meanwhile, Three metre swells are expected for New Caledonia's west coast until Tuesday as the tail-end of Cyclone Gabrielle threatens the area. Strong swell warnings are in place for 16 districts, and residents on the coast and Pine Island have been advised to stay vigilant. After Cyclone Gabrielle passed near New Caledonia, 14 boats were damaged and one boat has sunk due to wind and swells. Vice-director of the Port Brunelet, Brice Kiener, told La Premiere they will start an evacuation plan for the damaged ships. "As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle there have been strong west coast winds which has resulted with the most important swell tides of the year. Specifically in the areas of Orphan Bay, an evacuation plan is underway for those ships with the help of the Noumea City Council." Norfolk Island appears to have avoided the worst of Cyclone Gabrielle which was initially forecast to pass over it. Winds have cut power, brought down trees and blocked roads on the island but it appears to have been spared the worst. Source: Radio New Zealand

Huon Gulf MP and Community Development Minister Jason Peter on Thursday 9th February 2023 urged Morobe Governor Luther Akisawa Wenge to send audit and evaluation teams down toward level to check on funding released for projects. Minister Peter emphasized that every year big budgets are being passed down yet a lot is not known if work has been done, half completed or no work at all. “ Olegta yia yumi pasim Budget tasol dispela moni yumi no save em mekim wok or nogat.” Minister Peter made these strong remarks at Tutumang Assembly during the Morobe Province 2023 Budget Session yesterday passed by Morobe Provincial Government. “ Plis Gavana Wenge yumi mas Salim evaluation team igo daun lo LLG na ward level na sekim wok I kamap or nogat. Mani go daun lo ples mas mekim wok lo helpim pipol blong yumi.” Minister Peter whilst thanking Governor Wenge for passing the K644 Million Budget , welcomed the huge funding appropriation towards education. However Minister Peter said Law and Order problems in the community is still a great challenge and therefore students being sponsored must take full responsibility of coming back to serve their people in the province and district’s. “ MI laik tok tenkiu lo Gavana Wenge lo funding igo lo edukesen. Tasol lo na oda hevi yumi mas stretim pastaim. “ Minister Peter further acknowledged the funding allocation from MPG to all districts of Morobe Province saying his district will work closely with the Provincial Government to realize projects for the people to benefit.