The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired into higher education in Papua New Guinea. The University of Papua New Guinea Act No. 18, 1983 bill repealing the old Ordinance was passed by the National Parliament in August 1983.The university has moved from a departmental to a school structure to foster interdisciplinary and inter-school relationships. The university's library is known as the Michael Somare Library, named after the country's first Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.The university of Papua New Guinea is regarded as the third best universities in the country according to the article http://myajiratoday.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) treatment loss to follow-up (LTFU) is an important public health problem because treatment interruption may contribute to unsuccessful treatment outcomes and ongoing transmission. This study describes characteristics and issues reported by TB patients who were lost to follow-up during treatment at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH), Papua New Guinea. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among confirmed pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB patients who had received TB treatment for more than one month and subsequently stopped treatment for more than two months. Eighty-eight patients were selected from the medical ward, TB ward and TB clinic at PMGH between May 2015 and May 2016. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire through face-to-face interviews after informed consent. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Of 88 participants, 54 (61%) were female and 34 (39%) male. The largest age group was 23–32 years (36, 41%). Primary education was reported by 46 (52%) and no formal education by 14 (16%). HIV infection was reported in 20 (23%), alcohol use in 40 (46%), smoking in 39 (44%), and betel-nut chewing in 60 (68%). Personal factors were reported in 64 (72%), socioeconomic factors in 37 (42%), and health-system factors in 76 (86%). Symptom resolution was reported in 31 participants, belief in sorcery in 18, and TB-drug adverse effects in 15. Treatment interruption occurred during the continuation phase in 51 (58%) and intensive phase in 37 (42%). Conclusion: Health-system factors were the most frequently reported category among TB patients experiencing LTFU, followed by personal and socioeconomic factors. Patient education, adverse-effect management, treatment support, improved follow-up systems and attention to transportation barriers may improve treatment continuity. Because the study included only patients who experienced LTFU, the findings should be interpreted as descriptive rather than as statistically demonstrated risk factors.
Bali, which has the highest suicide rate in Indonesia, provides a critical context for examining suicide notes as both cultural texts and forensic evidence. This study examines how Balinese people communicate finality through language and how these styles relate to authenticity. Five suicide notes, written in Balinese and verified by authorities as genuine, were purposively sampled from online news. Using qualitative content analysis within frameworks of Olsson’s Insider and Outsider and Cultural Discourse Analysis, the findings show that authenticity is conveyed indirectly through culturally disciplined language rather than explicit declarations. Finality is predominantly framed through a journey metaphor which reflects Balinese Hindu beliefs. This study contributes to forensic linguistics by demonstrating that authenticity in local suicide notes is inseparable from local cultures and norms.
INTRODUCTION:Back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The presentation, detection, and characterization of lesions in back pain are sometimes clinically indistinguishable, necessitating the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI provides useful information that is likely to affect treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate common findings on MRI in adult patients with low back pain (LBP). METHOD:This is a descriptive study of 31 adult patients from Papua New Guinea (PNG) with LBP symptoms who underwent lumbar spine MRI scans at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) Radiology Department from January 2018 to March 2019. The data collected included age, gender, lumbar spine abnormalities, and affected intervertebral disc levels. The data were retrieved retrospectively from the MRI register books and the Radiologist's reports. Ethical approval was obtained from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee, University of Papua New Guinea (Approval No 01,180,319). Further administrative approval to collect data was obtained from PMGH through the Director of Medical Services and Head of the Radiology Department. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, and mean values. RESULTS:Back pain was observed in 22 (71%) male patients and 9 (29%) female patients. Disc bulges were the most common lumbar spine abnormality identified among the 31 examined patients: 14 (63.6%) males and 3 (33.3%) females. Patients aged 25-35 years had the highest proportion of disc bulges (60%) compared to the other age categories. CONCLUSION:While findings such as disc bulges and degenerative changes are consistent with previous international literature, this study's contribution is the documentation of lumbar spine MRI findings among adults with LBP in PNG, where published MRI-based epidemiological data remain limited. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the presence of common lumbar spine MRI abnormalities associated with LBP in adults. This finding suggests that multiple factors could predict LBP among adults in PNG. A disc bulge was identified as the dominant abnormality, primarily affecting the area around L4-L5 and L5-S1. Further investigation is warranted in a broader PNG population to determine why this region of the lumbar spine is predominantly affected by LBP. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY:Low back pain is a common cause of disability, and MRI scans can help identify changes in the spine that may be linked to symptoms. This study reviewed MRI scans from 31 adults in Papua New Guinea who had low back pain to identify the most common findings. This study found that disc bulges were the most frequent spinal abnormality, especially in men, younger adults, and the lower part of the spine. This matters because understanding common MRI findings can help improve knowledge of low back pain in Papua New Guinea and support future research and patient care.
A prospective study of 96 children with one or more WHO emergency signs presenting to a children's emergency department in Papua New Guinea, the case mix included sepsis, pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea and encephalopathy. Thirty children died during admission. Using a hand-held point-of-care device, a single capillary blood lactate level was measured at the time of presentation. Five clinical signs and capillary blood lactate predicted mortality, and lactate and a low Glasgow Coma Score were the strongest predictors. The mortality rate for a capillary lactate level <5 mmol/L was 7/45 (15%), and if lactate ≥ 5 mmol/L, the mortality rate was 22/52 (42%). When point-of-care lactate is integrated with clinical features of GCS ≤ 13, cold peripheries (or prolonged capillary refill), and low oxygen saturation (or obstructed breathing), high‑risk children can be identified and prioritised for urgent management in a paediatric intensive care unit or area of the ward.
