Comments

It is a truism that correlation does not necessarily imply connection. RAMSI’s 10 years may well be correlated with an expansion of logging but none with experience of the forestry sector in the Solomons would blame RAMSI for the iniquitous waste of forest resources. Quite the contrary, in fact, as Australia has a long history of offering support for the forestry sector to help blunt the sharp pains that logging induces. Some of that support was implemented but its outcomes ignored in practice. Some was not even allowed to start - blocked by politicians loathe to see restrictions placed on their Asian logger supporters. It is true, as Hameiri writes, that: “… in Solomon Islands the environmentally destructive and communally divisive practice of commercial logging on customary land has played a pivotal role from independence in bringing together otherwise flimsy political coalitions.” However it is bizarre to claim that RAMSI has “… unleashed a logging investment bonanza …” Perhaps even more surprising than the spurious claim of RAMSI responsibility for logging expansion is the author’s contention that “the violent conflict of the late 1990s had its origins in the Asian financial crisis.” No need to explain away that one. The origins of the conflict (solely internal) are well known.

The big mistake in the logging of the Solomons has been not to insist that logs should be processed in the islands. This could have been achieved by a heavy export tax on logs but not on sawn timber. This would have achieved more local employment and slowed down the cutting of the forests.

Dr Hameiri, I would like to see similar article that would accurately depict what is happening in Papua New Guinea: add major mines and fisheries and a longer time frame. As a 75 year old I will only get to see the lead up to the final state. It will take a great leader to reverse the trend downwards. Tony Flynn

When it is recognised and accepted that existing (public) health systems have finally failed and corrective measures have been ineffective, there apparently exists the only option of PPIP, unless you abdicate responsibility of healthcare by a total sell-off. PPIP, when well planned and formulated, stands a chance of providing alternative care, not necessarily for larger numbers. In regards to rising costs/investments, that has to be an accepted.

PNG health problems are 3 fold: 1. Create a good healthy community - develop the infrastructure (clean water, cheap simply clean houses, privacy for mental health and roll out health education). This lies squarely with the National government strategies for healthy country.. 2. Preventive health - treatment of lifestyle diseases and associated issues that are preventable, but the individual can choose to be treated or not (this includes HIV aids, heart disease, cigarettes and lung cancer). The media should be used to educate individuals. 3. Need for more trained medical personnel

Thanks Ashlee for your comment. The issues you and Francis raise are particularly pertinent when it comes to how women political candidates are portrayed in the media, how much coverage their platforms get as compared to those of male candidates and how accessible media outlets are to facilitate campaigning. The media can play an important role in framing wider societal perceptions about gender, power and representation.

Very interesting points raised in this interview. On gender, I think that is a challenge across the world for the media industry. When I worked as a journalist, many of my colleagues were female -- many of my editors were male and at the managerial level it was predominantly male. I think that the pressures currently facing the media at the moment only exacerbate this -- expectations of long hours, low levels of flexibility for women trying to balance work and family, 24 hour news cycles and increasing demands as journalists are expected to do more with less while operating across multiple platforms. In newsroom hierarchies, where editors have a guiding role over the tone and content selection for a publication, that lack of female voice at the higher levels really influences overall coverage. Like Francis says, it's not about having women reporters around to cover gender issues as some sort of niche round beside the 'mainstream' coverage, it's about equitably representing the perspectives of broader society and giving space to the perspectives of women and girls, whether they are writing on sport, business, politics or women's health. So Francis' point on the need to encourage women in those media leadership positions in the Pacific is really important.

In order to increase coverage of essential health services, especially for the poor, the Prime Minister of PNG has announced that he will remove user fees in public health facilities. This is a proven policy to improve health outcomes and reduce poverty but will require a substantial investment in district level health services notably in human resources and improving drug supply systems. Given this explicit policy priority it wouldn't seem to be a good time to enter into an arrangement which will undoubtedly increase the share of the public budget spent on the central hospital in the capital. One can see from the blog above that this is exactly what has happened in Lesotho where despite promises that the PPP would be "cost neutral" increased demand from the population with good access to the unit has led to huge budgetary pressures. When this happens and funds are reallocated to the tertiary sector, the losers are poor people living in remote districts who are unlikely to ever visit the capital, let alone the central hospital. So if the Government of PNG wants its national free health care initiative to be a success they might be advised not to listen to these siren calls to tie-up millions of dollars of budget funds on a PPP which will only benefit a small proportion of the population.

I think a more reasoned article with examples from a broader range of countries would have been more persuasive. Oh, and maybe one not written by the CEOs of companies who would most likely be first in line to pick up tender documents.....

This example from one hospital experience in a small country should only be one example shared with the Ministry of Health in PNG as they struggle to make the most effective, efficient and equitable policy choices for their population. The case studies shared with the Ministry should include the very negative experiences that many developed and transition countries have had, in trying to establish PPIs to deliver health care. Countries such as the UK, Bangladesh and many countries in Latin America have invested in these PPI agreements, with specifically negative impacts on quality accountability and access for the poor. Health care does not work well under neo-liberial marketing principles. The example that should be shared with the Minister of Health in PNG is the history of how Sri Lanka has managed and financed their health system, one of the few good health systems at low cost in the world. They have positive health outcomes focusing on the principles of Alma Ata, focusing on equity of access, active engagement of the population and a multisectoral approach. The same principles that Margaret Chan and the World Health Assembly endorsed as a key approach for achieving universal coverage of health care in the 2008 World Health Report. Please share these references with the PNG MInistry: <a href="http://www.who.int/whr/2008/en/" rel="nofollow">World Health Report 2008: Primary Health Care: now more than ever</a> and Save the Children's report on Sri Lanka: <a href="http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/docs/bucking_the_trend_1.pdf" rel="nofollow">Bucking the trend, good health at low cost: Sri Lanka's policy lessons for the 21st century</a> and finally the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's book on <a href="http://ghlc.lshtm.ac.uk/files/2011/10/GHLC-book.pdf" rel="nofollow">Good Health at Low Cost</a>. These should all be offered to the Minister to read.

Thanks for this post and raising this important topic. A related conversation is that relating to Development Impact Bonds as put forward by the Center for Global Development and which you can follow <a href="http://www.cgdev.org/blog/development-impact-bonds-comments-welcome" rel="nofollow">here</a>.

PNG needs a good transparent media, to cover the events both good and bad across the country. This will expose and educate the average person about the development. They can make their minds about the "good" and "bad" corruption. Public office belongs to the people of PNG not the handful of those who have the privilege to hold public offices When they make decisions and take actions to benefit the country it will be applauded.