Marie Stopes Papua New Guinea

First established in 2006, Marie Stopes Papua New Guinea is now the largest provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare in the country. A low contraceptive prevalence rate of just over 25% and high maternal mortality continue to pose challenges for the country. We reach clients through a range of channels, including clinics, health worker training and outreach teams. We work closely with the government to increase uptake of modern contraception, embedding specialist family planning nurses in Provincial Hospitals and training public and private health workers to better meet demand for family planning services.

The team is strongly committed to reaching the most vulnerable members of the community. However Papua New Guinea’s mountainous geography presents a significant challenge to service delivery. Many of Marie Stopes Papua New Guinea’s intrepid outreach teams travel by boat or plane to reach remote communities that are inaccessible by road. Marie Stopes Papua New Guinea also serves urban communities through reproductive health clinics in Port Moresby and Lae. 

As well as delivering services, our teams use a range of methods to build knowledge, understanding and acceptance of family planning. A strong focus in all our work is making our services accessible to young people, who are the most at risk and the most under-served group in Papua New Guinea. 10% of the people we reached in the country in 2021 were under 20, and this was thanks to targeted marketing and information campaigns on social media.