Welcome to Episode 92 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre.

Today’s episode is the first in a two-part series on the World Bank Group, where we speak to the experts leading the Bank’s work in the region.

In this episode I speak to Dr. Edith Kariko, the Senior Health Specialist with the World Bank in Port Moresby.

Edith is a medical doctor with extensive experience working in health in Papua New Guinea, particularly in remote areas. Edith works closely with PNG's National Department of Health and other central line agencies to support the implementation of health policies that aim to improve and strengthen health service delivery in PNG. Dr Kariko is heavily involved in delivering support to the Government of PNG as part of the World Bank’s US$20 million emergency package for PNG’s COVID-19 response.

In the episode, Edith talks about the state of PNG’s healthcare system, and including how years of neglect have culminated into a broken healthcare system in dire need of repair, and the work Edith and her counterparts are doing to fix it.

We discuss access to contraception, specifically Edith’s work promoting male contraceptive methods in PNG, including the difference between the attitudes of highland and coastal communities on the subject. Of course we also discuss Covid-19 and the support the World Bank is providing to the Government at this time.

https://devpolicy.org/catastrophic-failures-in-png-health-service-delivery-20190404/

http://devpolicy.org/publications/reports/PEPE/Financing-PNGs-free-primary-health-care-policy-user-fees-funding-and-performance.pdf

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/04/23/a-100m-investment-in-papua-new-guineans-three-major-new-projects-to-build-pngs-human-capital

Next week you’ll hear from another World Bank expert, this time on the impact of the digital revolution in Fiji.

Enjoy the episode,

The GWH Team