The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated 1,000 megaphones to the National Department of Health (NDoH) and Provincial Health Authorities to strengthen health education efforts in Papua New Guinea's rural communities. At the official handover ceremony yesterday in Port Moresby, UNICEF Representative Dr Veera Mendonça highlighted the importance of the equipment in improving community outreach, particularly for maternal and child health. “The megaphones are intended to support efforts in strengthening community mobilization, increasing immunization coverage, and enhancing health promotion activities,” said Dr Mendonça. She emphasized that the devices would help deliver timely, accurate, and culturally appropriate health education to remote areas. “While we have made commendable progress in reducing maternal mortality — from a high of 733 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006 to 171 today — we must remember that this still means at least one woman dies every day due to complications from childbirth,” Dr Mendonça stated. She added that more than 60,000 mothers develop complications or disabilities annually. “These statistics are a stark reminder of the challenges we continue to face. Currently, 45 out of every 1,000 children do not survive their first year, only 56% of pregnant women access antenatal care, and just 32% of women deliver in health facilities,” she said. Dr Mendonça stressed the critical need for ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health services. The megaphone donation is part of UNICEF’s broader support to the Government of Papua New Guinea. In collaboration with the NDoH and key partners, UNICEF is also supporting initiatives to eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus, roll out a nationwide polio vaccination campaign in response to a recent outbreak, and boost routine immunization coverage. “We urge all Provincial Health Authorities to ensure these megaphones are distributed quickly to health facilities, where they can be used for health education sessions, outreach campaigns, and community engagement,” Dr Mendonça added. Receiving the megaphones on behalf of the NDoH, Mr. Ken Wai, Executive Manager for Public Health, expressed gratitude and recognized the impact the equipment will have at the grassroots level. “Every health clinic must get one of these,” Mr. Wai said. “We need to get out and tell people to be healthy. On behalf of every mother and child in Papua New Guinea, I say thank you!”