Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Prime Minister Tony Abbott often says that to be born in Australia is to win the lottery of life. Sadly, some of our newest neighbours in Papua New Guinea are not so lucky. They often lack access to the most basic medical treatment, and women and girls in Papua New Guinea are more likely to experience domestic violence than those in any other country in the world. This is a problem that we do not wish for our neighbours, and there are many organisations who offer support to the people of Papua New Guinea.

Violence against women, both physical and sexual, is at an appalling level in Papua New Guinea. However, one group, the Leniata Legacy, is aiming to make a difference by engaging in a five-pillar approach of awareness, advocacy, education, charity and empowerment. The legacy wants to engage all Papua New Guineans, both male and female, to challenge the view that violence against women is unacceptable.

The Leniata Legacy reports that two in three women are subject to physical violence, and more than 50 per cent are subject to sexual assaults, in Papua New Guinea. This is where programs undertaken by the Leniata Legacy are so important. Indeed, Papua New Guinea averages only one doctor for more than 17,000 people and has a large number of very isolated communities without ready access to even the most basic of modern medical treatment. Tragically, five women die in childbirth in Papua New Guinea every day, and one in 13 children die before the age of five. It is impossible for most people in these communities to travel to the nearest medical clinic for the simplest of procedures, let alone be diagnosed and treated for more serious conditions in Port Moresby.

YWAM Medical Ships have been providing basic health services such as immunisations, dentistry, antenatal clinics and health education to villagers and health workers in very remote parts of Papua New Guinea. Completely staffed and crewed by volunteers, the ship travels to remote areas and allows people to be treated for simple procedures like infection control to more complicated eye surgery in the on-board operating theatre. Since 2010, YWAM and the MV Pacific Link have achieved 249,000 health outputs for remote PNG residents. This is outstanding work done by a completely volunteer workforce of medical professionals working in challenging conditions. Last year I attended the launch of YWAM's new medical ship, the MV Ammari. It will increase the capacity of the medical ship program by 500 per cent to help more than 188,000 people a year.

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Port Moresby to inspect private and public health facilities, and to look at options for making our aid program even more effective. I was pleased to have private discussions with Prime Minister O'Neill, sports minister, and local member, Justin Tkatchenko, Minister for Health, Michal Malabag and, of course, my good friend Rimbink Pato, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I thank them all for taking time from their busy schedules.

I particularly congratulate Amyna and Mohamed Sultan on their persistence and determination to establish the new Pacific International Hospital, which will be officially opened this Friday. The new hospital is very impressive and equal to the best in the world.