Burnet Institute Board Chair, Mr Alastair Lucas, Senator the Hon. Bob Car, the Hon. Rimbink Pato and Professor Brendan Crabb at the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies dinner in Port Moresby.

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon. Bob Carr has joined his counterpart in Papua New Guinea, the Hon. Rimbink Pato to urge further support for women’s and children’s health.

The foreign ministers joined other dignitaries including Burnet’s Director and CEO, Professor Brendan Crabb at a high-level private dinner in Port Moresby.

Professor Crabb told guests the Institute needs five million dollars over five years to fund its Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program.

“Sadly, more than 5,000 babies will die in the first 24 hours of life and another 10,000 perish before their fifth birthday. We need to address this urgently,” Professor Crabb said.

“High quality, innovative research is crucial to ensuring that the most effective interventions reach those most in need in PNG in a highly cost efficient way.

“Governments and aid agencies can only do so much, so creative solutions like we propose need substantial support from the philanthropic and business communities.”

Mr Carr urged corporations and philanthropists to build on the $900,000 already raised by the Burnet Institute.

“A woman in Papua New Guinea is 80 times more likely to die in childbirth than a woman in Australia and that is an arresting comparison,” Mr Carr said.

“Fundraising events like this help to engage new partners – particularly from the private sector – to support this important work.”

Burnet Institute supporters also visited the Papipipi Health Centre in Kokopo, where they toured the labour and post-delivery ward and were shown first-hand the challenges around service provision.

Burnet Institute would like to thanks the many guests and supporters who attended the dinner to launch this important initiative, in particular:
- the government of PNG
- the PNG Institute of Medical Research
- the University of PNG - AusAID
- Abt JTA
- OilSearch Foundation - the PNG Secretary for Health Mr Pascoe Kase
- the Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Her Excellency Ms Deborah Stokes
- the Deputy Director General of AusAID, Mr James Batley

(Photos courtesy of Lynton Crabb Photography)