The founder of a charitable group in Papua New Guinea's capital says he is saddened by the number of children being abandoned and wants the government to take action.
Father John Glynn, who began a foundation for women and children at risk, says it is not uncommon for babies to be abandoned, given away, or sold in the marketplace.
Father Glynn says poverty, shame and a lack of education are the key drivers behind the social issue.
He says the government needs to invest more in social services, which are underfunded and not equipped to deal with abandoned children.
"The machinery is not there to assist people to adopt and the machinery is not there either to keep a watch on these babies once they are handed over, officially or unofficially, to a family that is willing to accept them - they're lost sight of after that."
Father John Glynn says some children grow up in domestic slavery.
