Links
Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce
The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce website is located at -- http://www.pomcci.org.pg
PNG Institute of Directors
The PNG Institute of Directors has revamped its website with the help of
an AESOP Volunteer, Peter Griffin. It is an excellent introduction to PNG
company law and related governance issues it can be found at -- http://www.pngid.org.pg
Religious Websites
The web site for Papua New Guinea Church Partnership based in the United
Kingdom is located at -- http://hometown.aol.co.uk/pngcpluxton/PNGChurchPartnership.htm.
This was formerly known as the New Guinea Mission - Supporting the Anglican
Province
Here is a quote from one of the pages on the web site --
Many people who live in remote areas in PNG do
not receive any medical treatment. The first ever doctors in Koinambe (an
area of malnourishment in the Jimi Valley) returned to UK in July 2002.
VSO's Chris and Toni Rolles were able to visit people where they live -
sometimes two days walk across difficult terrain. PNGCP recruit, Dr. Susanne
Alzinger, returned from Oro Bay to Zurich fifteen months ago....
Pioneer Bible Translators -- http://www.pioneerbible.org.pg
Port Moresby Diocese of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.portmoresby.anglican.org
United Pentecostal Assemblies of PNG -- http://www.upcpng.org
Catholic Church of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands -- http://www.catholicpng.org.pg
Religious Television Association -- http://www.rtapng.com.pg
Judicial System
The Papua New Guinea National web site can be located at -- http://www.pngjudiciary.gov.pg
Shuttle Images of PNG
The following web site boasts 1,392 images of PNG from the space shuttle
-- http://rove.to/papua-new-guinea/
Miscellaneous Links
Eric's Papua New Guinea Website -- http://www.angelfire.com/journal/png/
News Items
Defence Force
The PNG Defence Force will soon have the experience of a catering officer
from the New Zealand Defence Force. The New Zealand Officer will provide training
to the PNG Defence Force cooks under an agreement between New Zealand and
PNG.
Telephone Management
If anyone is in PNG and looking for a good telephone management system for
their Ericsson, Telikom Oki, Panasonic or NEX PABX then I suggest taking a
visit to MATRYX -- http://www.matryx.com.pg.
This system boasts over 100 customers within PNG. The company can also offer
web development and various IT services.
Port Moresby War Zone
After the Supreme Court ruled that the election of Caspar Wollom to the Moresby
North-East Open seat for parliament was void supporters from his side and
the side of David Unagi went on a fighting spree outside the Court. People
were seen to be charging and retreating as sticks, stones and bottles were
hurled by each side. Police, who arrived at the scene 15 minutes later, managed
to disperse the crowd. The Electoral Commission may appeal against the decision
after studying the judgement by Justice Los.
Port Moresby Vet
There is some good news for animal owners in Port Moresby - The new vet has
arrived. Dr. Pawel Kita has taken over the operation of the RSPCA veterinary
clinic.
Agriculture Sector
The minister for Agriculture and Livestock is keen to see a freight subsidy
and tax incentives to get the rural agriculture sector going again. -- http://www.agriculture.org.pg
Southern Highlands
The voting in the Southern Highlands has started. The deployment of over
2000 soldiers and police should ensure that the supplementary elections are
peaceful. Over 100 people are reported to have died in the previous elections
that had to be cancelled due to the violence.
Southern Highlands Justice
The justice system in the Southern Highlands is said to have collapsed. Apparently
there have not been enough magistrates in the province for the last five years
and there is a huge backlog of cases to be heard at all levels of the court
system. Southern Highlands currently has 3 magistrates when it should have
at least ten for the province.
Bulolo
The only bank in the small town of Bulolo has closed indefinitely due to
an attempted hold up recently. Thieves attempted to break open an ATM after
gaining entry to the area by assaulting a security guard. The thieves ran
out of time as the sun rose and had to abandon the attempted robbery.
SARS
The Inter-Government Relations Minister, Sir Peter Barter, has called on
more stringent checks to be made at the international arrivals area of Jackson's
Airport to prevent SARS from entering PNG. Although by that time it would
be too late unless a quarantine area is set up where any passengers suspected
of having SARS could be questioned.
Athletics
Litiana Miller from Fiji has blitzed the women's 100-metre final at the Melanesian
Athletic Championship held recently in Lae by point 2 of a second. Litiana's
time for the sprint was 11.8 seconds beating the next best runner, Mai Koime
from PNG.
Taiwan
The PNG Government has upset the Chinese Government by granting diplomatic
vehicle number plates to it bitter rival Taiwan.
Tufi
The people of the Southern Highlands are getting the opportunity to vote
for representatives in government but the people of Tufi and Afore in the
Oro (Northern) Province are yet to have their local level government elections.
The elections were supposed to have been held at the same time as the 2002
elections.
Goroka Uni
The University of Goroka has appointed a new Vice Chancellor. He is only
the second in decades such is the stability at the Uni. He is Dr David Rawlence
from New Zealand who succeeds Dr Mark Solon who has served since the early
1970's at Goroka.
University of PNG
The first Open Day of the University of PNG, held at the Waigani Campus,
was a success. A mini-missile fired off by the Physics strand of the Natural
and Physical Science faculty was the major highlight of the day. The project
leader estimated that the missile travelled as far as 2.5 kilometres.
Overseas Missions
Six new heads of overseas missions have pledged to help the government achieve
its development objectives via its export driven economy policy. The six will
be looking after missions located in --
- Philippines,
- Solomon Islands,
- Federated States of Micronesia & Marshall Islands,
- Fiji,
- Indonesia and
- China
Enga Prison
Lack of funding has meant that a proposed prison for Enga Province is left
with little more than an accommodation for the jail commander and staff houses
and nothing else. No accommodation for the prisoners that are yet to be constructed.
Stanley Nandex - Kickboxing
Stanley Nandex from the Southern Highlands of PNG has added another feather
to his cap by retaining his Commonwealth Kick Boxing title. He won the fight
against Evan Themelakis in a close bout recently held in Melbourne Australia.
Stanley Nandex - Taekwondo
The champion Kick Boxer, Stanley Nandex, has said that he is available to
contest the South Pacific Games to defend his gold medal in Taekwondo. He
won the medal in 1999 at the South Pacific Games held in Guam. Nandex is a
professional kick boxer but he is not a professional in Taekwondo and if allowed
by the international Taekwondo rules there would be no problem with him competing
at the SP Games.
Bank South Pacific
The Bank South Pacific (BSP) hopes to list on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange
by July this year (2003). The bank already has many of the larger financial
institutions and the government as shareholders.
Air Niugini
Air Niugini is aiming to please a few customers who have not been able to
travel recently due to the ever-increasing airfares. As from May anyone who
fronts up with money in their hand will have the opportunity to get a special
fare. People could do this previously but they had to book weeks in advance
and stay away for at least a couple of weeks. As seats are limited passengers
have been advised to book and pay in advance anyway to avoid disappointment.
The mid week fare offers a massive 50 percent discount off the normal fare.
Air Niugini has also announced a general sales agent in Stockholm who will
be responsible for looking after the northern part of Europe and Scandinavia.
Law and Order
The law and order problem in provinces is increasing due to the fact that
many of the police force have been moved to the Southern Highlands during
the supplementary elections. For example five business houses in Goroka have
been held up recently. It is not only a shortage of manpower causing problems
but vehicles have also been sent to the Southern Highlands for support.
Mobile Phones
Pacific Mobile Communications (PMC) has officially launched the digital telephone
network in the country. The system is known as the Global System Mobile 900
(GSM) Network and is compatible with most countries in the world. The current
GSM network will cover Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen, Madang and Goroka.
At the launch, Sir Michael Somare said that his government expect PMC to roll
out the GSM network to other areas as soon as it was technically possible.
Australian Immigration Hours
The Consul at the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby has supplied
the following information. The Immigration Office at Waigani in the National
Capital is open to the public from 0800 - 1200 Monday to Friday.
The Consul has advised that processing standard temporary visitor and
business visa applications requires lodgement with the Visa Office at least
five days prior to the intended date of travel from PNG. Processing for
permanent migration to Australia is a much more lengthy process. Members
of the general public who require a visa to travel to Australia are advised
to apply well in advance of their intended travel date. In particular, those
persons who are not resident in Port Moresby, or those who need to undertake
medicals, or those who are required to provide supporting documentation,
should contact the Visa Office well before their intended date of travel.
The timely lodgement of visa applications with full documentation will ensure
prompt processing and avoid delays.
Fun Run
The annual fun run for the Sports Federation was run on the 4th of May 2003
at most centres around the country. The money raised will be used to send
athletes to various events around the world including the South Pacific Games.
Not as many participants turned up as what the organiser expected.
Walindi
If anyone is looking for accommodation in West New Britain the not far from
Kimbe, the provincial capital, then try Walindi Plantation Dive Resort. Walindi
is situated just ten kilometres from Kimbe on the road to Talasea. Close to
the Resort is the Walindi Nature Centre sponsored by the owner of the resort.
-- http://www.walindi.com
Malaria FAQ's
If you think you have malaria then my suggestion is see a doctor or a nurse
as soon as possible so that a trained professional can offer the correct treatment.
QQQ What is the most common disease in PNG?
AAA Malaria is the most common disease and the second leading cause
of death in PNG hospitals. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death.
QQQ What are the various types of malaria found in PNG?
AAA There are four types of malaria found in the world that can affect
humans but only three types are found in PNG
- falciparum malaria
- vivax malaria
and (thanks to John Mackerell)
- the third species of malaria found in PNG is called malariae malaria (P.
malariae) - basically like vivax but without vivax's persistent liver stage.
QQQ Of the types of malaria found in PNG which one is the most dangerous?
AAA falciparum malaria is the most serious. If not treated falciparum
malaria may result in shock, kidney and liver failure, coma and death. Death
is often due to clogging of the small blood vessels in vital organs by the
malaria-infected blood cells.
QQQ What is the less life-threatening malaria found in PNG?
AAA vivax malaria is generally not life threatening, but deaths may
occur in young children, very old people and in people already weakened by
another disease.
QQQ Where is malaria found in PNG?
AAA Malaria is generally found at altitudes lower than 1,600 metres.
The temperature above this altitude restricts mosquito and parasite growth.
As a result of increased travel, malaria does occur in some of the highlands
valleys.
QQQ How is malaria spread?
AAA Malaria is spread by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. These
mosquitos almost exclusively bite at dusk and during the night. Daytime mosquitoes
are usually not carriers of malaria.
QQQ What are the drugs used to treat malaria?
AAA The drugs used are dangerous and should only be taken under medical
supervision. Chloroquine, Fansidar, artesunate / artemether and primaquine.
No drug or combination of drugs is completely effective in all people. See
next item on the correct use of artemether or artesunate
QQQ How can I protect myself against malaria?
AAA Prevention of being bitten by an infected mosquito is important
but nor perfect. Added protection from malaria is possible by taking anti-malarial
drugs. Taking drugs before becoming sick, to prevent disease from developing
is called prophylaxis. A prophylactic drug is supposed to prevent or suppress
the disease even if bitten by an infected mosquito.
For other FAQ's about PNG please pay a visit to http://www.michie.net/png_faqs
-- if you know an answer to a FAQ or find and answer that is wrong then please
send email to have it added or corrected.
Malaria Treatment
Steve Bjorge has advised the following on the use of artemether or artesunate
for the treatment of malaria, it is important that people understand that
artemether or artesunate used alone may not cure the malaria infection. The
NDOH recommended treatment is artemether or artesunate (they are closely related
compounds) taken daily for 7 days IN COMBINATION with a single dose of Fansidar
(for an adult, 3 tablets). The artesunate/artemether drugs are very effective
in knocking down the parasite biomass in the blood and thus reducing the fever,
but they still can fail to knock out every last parasite. Studies have shown
up to a 50% recrudescence rate after 5 days of artesunate/artemether, and
a 5% recrudescence rate after 7 days of artesunate/artemether (i.e.
less than 100%).
Note: According to http://www.dictionary.com/
-- re·cru·desce means "to break out anew or come
into renewed activity, as after a period of quiescence" and recrudescence
means "a return of something after a period of abatement" "a
recrudescence of malaria"
Mask Festival
The Seventh National Mask Festival and Warwargira will be held at Queen Elizabeth
II Park in Rabaul, East New Britain Province from the 7th to the 19th of July
2003.
Real Estate Agents
Arthur Strachan (Lae) -- http://www.arthurstrachan.com.pg
Century 21 -- http://www.century21.com.pg/
and http://www.siule.com.pg/
Kohoy Real Estate -- http://kohoyrealestates.tripod.com/
L.J Hooker -- http://www.ljhooker.com
Ray White Real Estate -- monian@online.net.pg
Strickland RE -- http://www.sre.com.pg/
The Professionals -- http://www.theprofessionals.com.pg
Sexual Diseases
PNG has the dubious honour of topping the Asia Pacific Region for Sexual
Transmitted Infections (STI). PNG Has the highest statistics in the region
for syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia and has been for over a decade.
Landslide
A landslide has hit Tokia village in the South Koroba area of the Southern
Highlands Province killing at least eleven people so far. It would appear
that at least a dozen people have been injured. The Southern Highlands is
in the middle of supplementary elections at the moment.
Kwikila High School
The once renowned school at Kwikila, that used to produce prominent figures
in the community, has been allowed to run down. It would appear that frustrated
people in the community have also done damage to the school. The school is
now hoping that some of the previous students can help raise money to fix
the school.
For a map of Kwikila visit -- http://www.multimap.com/wi/32537.htm
Lifting Gold
PNG Olympian Dika Toua and Jeffrey Robby have won gold medals at the Commonwealth
Oceania and South Pacific weightlifting championships held in Tonga. Dika,
a teenager from the big village of Hanuabada, snatched 60Kg and managed a
clean of 82.5 Kg to win gold. Her nearest rival from Nauru only managed to
lift a total of 120 Kg.
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