Focusing field epidemiology training on national health priorities in Papua New Guinea: consultative prioritization, from health workers to policy-makers

Papua New Guinea Prioritizes Health Research to Strengthen Health Systems

A recently published paper reveals how Papua New Guinea is strategically focusing its advanced Field Epidemiology Training Programme (aFETPNG) to address critical health challenges. The research details a consultative prioritization exercise designed to align operational research projects with the nation's key health priorities.

Published in the Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, the study describes a three-phase approach to identifying and prioritizing health areas for research. This initiative aimed to enhance the aFETPNG program, which focuses on building evidence to inform policy and practice and strengthen PNG's health systems.  

The prioritization exercise involved:

• Formulating Values and Criteria: FETPNG faculty established key values to guide the prioritization process and defined criteria for selecting operational research focus areas.

• Selecting Key Prioritization Areas: Stakeholders from various health departments and organizations ranked 14 priority areas, and interviews were conducted to explore the reasons behind these prioritizations.

• Selecting Key Operational Research Areas: A consultation workshop was held with policymakers, program managers, educators, and healthcare workers to further refine the focus of operational research.  

The study identified vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization, health systems strengthening, maternal and reproductive health, and communicable disease control as the top four key priority areas.  This research-driven approach is designed to generate high-quality, policy-relevant knowledge to strengthen Papua New Guinea's health systems and effectively manage health threats.

Read more here: https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/1105