In Papua New Guinea an outbreak of malaria in the Lufa area of Eastern Highlands Province has claimed the lives of 14 people and 600 more hospitalised.
The Post Courier reports that six villages, in a region with a population of 16 thousand, are the hardest hit, with more sick expected.
The local district health officer Pop Sivi says the outbreak may be due to the change in the weather pattern which has seen continuous rain since last month.
He says landslides and limited resources are making it difficult to control the outbreak.
