14 Jun 2004

NZ announces funds for PNG health projects

7:18 am on 14 June 2004

Save the Children New Zealand says the New Zealand Government has committed more than two million US dollars to health projects in East Sepik province in Papua New Guinea.

The money will be provided over the next three years to lift the health status of children and women.

The injection of funds will support Save the Children's Health Project in the province, which trains local Health Volunteers in rural villages to attend births, administer basic health care and advise on family planning.

New Zealand's Aid Minister, Marian Hobbs, said that infant mortality rates have improved significantly in PNG in recent years but were still high at 94 deaths for every 1000 children born.

She said those figures compared to a rate of 6 deaths for every 1000 births in New Zealand.