20 Mar 2017

UN Special Rapporteur on health to visit Papua

7:58 pm on 20 March 2017

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health will visit Papua as part of a two-week trip to Indonesia.

Downtown Jayapura.

Downtown Jayapura. Photo: RNZ / Koroi Hawkins

Dainius Puras is to visit Papua's provincial capital Jayapura from March the 31st to April the 1st.

The UN Special Rapporteur will be assessing how Indonesia implements the right to health, including the availability and quality of health services.

He will also address specific issues such as HIV/AIDS and maternal and children's health, and look at key population groups such as indigenous peoples.

Papuan women sell produce in an old market in Sentani

Papuan women sell produce in an old market in Sentani Photo: RNZI/Koroi Hawkins

The visit will assess factors affecting the right to health including poverty, discrimination and social exclusion.

Health outcomes in Papua are typically Indonesia's worst, with its HIV/AIDs rate 20 times the national average.

The UN Special Rapporteur will present his preliminary findings on April the 3rd and a full report to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2018.

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