(Image: Immunisation at Paparatava Health Outpost, East New Britain)
The recent re-emergence of polio in Papua New Guinea (PNG) provides a stark reminder of the importance of strengthening immunisation systems.
At Burnet, we collaborate with the PNG Government and local communities to train healthcare workers to deliver essential vaccines.
Recently, we held a three-day training course for healthcare workers in Kokopo, East New Britain, based on the World Health Organization’s Immunisation in Practice program, a global tool to strengthen the delivery of immunisation services.
The training covered core principles of immunisation practice, including effective interpersonal communication, clinic flow management, best practices for safe and effective vaccine administration, microplanning, and tools to monitor vaccine coverage rates.
Burnet’s Immunisation and Health Systems Strengthening specialist, Chelsea Taylor, said the program was developed to meet the specific challenges healthcare workers face in remote and under-resourced areas.
“We have been using our training package to reach more nurses and directly build their vaccination skills,” she said.
“Traditionally, immunisation training only takes place every few years and typically at the provincial level.
“These sessions often focus on training healthcare supervisors with the assumption they’ll pass on their knowledge to facility-based nurses. But in practice, this rarely happens due to lack of resources, follow-up and capacity.”
To overcome these challenges, Burnet worked together with the East New Britain Public Health Authority (PHA) to deliver the program directly to half of the clinics in two of East New Britain’s districts.
Burnet Zero Dose project coordinator, Clare Valaki, said the training addressed outdated immunisation practices and could be adapted to meet healthcare workers’ specific needs.
“We’re now one step closer to fulfilling Burnet’s commitment to strengthening immunisation systems and reaching under-immunised children in East New Britain,” she said.
The PHA’s acting Family Health Services coordinator Gerarda Vinia said several facilities previously marked as having low immunisation coverage have significantly improved.
“This training was especially well-timed and supported our outbreak preparedness efforts during the polio outbreak,” she said.
“Healthcare workers who received the training have since actively applied their knowledge and are collaborating closely with immunisation advocates during community outreach activities.”
Following the success of the program, the East New Britain PHA have requested additional training at other clinics across the province.
Burnet is also exploring ways to integrate immunisation training into midwifery curricula across Pacific Island countries.