Papua New Guinea’s primary health care system: Views from the frontline

This report aims to provide insights into how recent PNG government reform efforts are impacting on the primary health care system. These include the introduction of a free primary health care policy, national grants to provinces for recurrent health expenditure, changes in medical supply policies, and development funds allocated to members of parliament for health infrastructure in their electorates. It presents illustrations of how PNG’s primary health care system functions, drawing mainly on the perspectives of health administrators and frontline workers on the ground. The findings detailed in this report set out the realities of providing frontline health services to communities at the local level. This provides some insights into health system operations and reveals how different provincial contexts influence the implementation of health reforms, the utilisation of available health funds and the performance of health facilities.