Volunteers trained to fight leprosy

Village health volunteers from the Urban Kerema completed a three-day training workshop yesterday aimed at fighting leprosy and boosting community health care.

The Preventive Health and Community Engagement [PHACE] workshop, held at Epo, Gulf, was organised by the Leprosy Mission Papua New Guinea [TLM PNG] to improve support and care for communities affected by the disease.

TLM PNG senior programs manager Larsen Neayambe said this was the seventh round of PHACE training conducted for volunteers in the Urban Kerema local level government.

Neayambe said 21 village health volunteers participated in the training, which was facilitated by three different organisations.

TLM PNG ran sessions on health, nutrition, and good governance, while a medical team from the Gulf Provincial Health Authority facilitated sessions on leprosy prevention and detection. Representatives from Juvenile Justice also attended to conduct sessions on gender and child rights.

Neayambe said the volunteers were now well-equipped with skills in health, leprosy management, gender awareness, and governance, and were ready to begin fieldwork to support affected families.

He said TLM PNG is expected to maintain strong partnerships with ward development committees in both Kerema and Kikori districts to ensure the long-term sustainability of the PHACE program.