At Wednesday’s meeting (4th Dec '24), we received an update on the Midwifery Leadership Buddy program in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Our club supported this project with funds in 2023-2024. The program provides leadership training and partnering of midwives across PNG and Australia.

Its purpose is to reduce high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in PNG. Peter Mayer (Rotary Club of Morialta, SA) and Kristen Graham (Midwifery professional & PhD candidate) shared stories of success from the current cohort of 26 midwives.

They highlighted outcomes from the four-day workshop that builds relationships and develops skills and knowledge. They noted how quality improvement projects developed over 12 months – including an educational poster for clinicians and lifejackets for midwives travelling by sea – are making a positive difference. Our speakers finished their presentation with a call for additional funding for simple equipment to assist with anaemia prevention and care.

It was an excellent presentation about an inspiring project making positive and sustainable change in PNG.