Papua New Guinea’s health system was developed on two basic principles — that health services should be brought as close to the people as possible, and that the least-trained health worker who is competent to provide such care should deliver all health service activities.

These principles, which address the two basic issues of access to and quality of health care within the context of a nation with limited resources, are relevant today. A small number of diseases (pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, measles and anaemia) that can be diagnosed and treated at aid posts or outpatient clinics cause 40 per cent or more of deaths of men and women under the age of forty-five years. Another 10 per cent of deaths are attributed to meningitis, typhoid and some of the most important causes of maternal death that could be managed in a health centre ward. The most important preventive services — immunizations and antenatal care — can be provided through mobile and stationary clinics, and do not require a sophisticated service delivery infrastructure. These services can be, and have been in the past, provided to the majority of the population in Papua New Guinea.

Policies adopted at independence remain valid today. Indeed they have been reinforced through the priorities of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework 2004–2007, which provides the basis for prioritization for funding and technical support to the following areas: increased coverage of key public health programs, maintenance of essential clinical services for the main causes of morbidity and mortality, and improved sector efficiency and quality. All the activities within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework are contained in the overall policy framework set by the National Health Plan.