Changing minds on the COVID-19 vaccine in PNG, one leader at a time

Above: Victor Ame receives his COVID-19 vaccine after attending community leader training with Save the Children and the Central Provincial Health Authority. Photo: Rachel Tarsan/Save the Children PNG

In Papua New Guinea, misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine is still prevalent in many urban and rural communities, with less than 4 percent of the population vaccinated as of mid-June 2022 despite national and international efforts.  

With the support of the Australian Government, Australian Humanitarian Partnership NGOs have been contributing to the national vaccine rollout through community outreach, mass communications, and direct support to Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs), to increase the number of Papua New Guineans protected from the virus.

For 28-year-old Victor Ame, a two-day training for community leaders led by Save the Children has changed his perspective.

“I listened to rumours that said if you got the vaccine, you’d die, but that’s not true. I know that now after going through this training,” Victor said.

“Now I have no doubts and understand the cause and effects of COVID-19 and how the vaccine will protect me.”

By participating in the training, targeted at influential community and religious leaders in the Kairuku district of Central Province, Victor will now share factual information with his community.

Above: A group photo after the training was completed. Photo: Rachel Tarsan/Save the Children PNG

More than 50 local community leaders from youth, church, women’s groups, and schools attended the training, which focused on sharing accurate information about COVID-19 and the vaccine to address misconceptions and hesitancy.  

Save the Children’s Provincial Health Coordinator, Eileen Yasi, is working with Central PHA on the vaccine rollout. Eileen said that some of the challenges in getting people vaccinated included the language barrier, low literacy levels, religious beliefs, political differences, and misinformation.

She explained that community awareness and training must be consistent and clear in messaging.

“Our messaging must be simple and tailored to the audience. We must provide facts and evidence that they can relate to, so it helps them to understand and make informed decisions,” Eileen said.

Above: Barbra Mapai with her vaccination card. Photo: Rachel Tarsan/Save the Children PNG

After attending the training, the leaders will become advocates for the vaccine in their respective communities.

Central PHA’s Incident Manager Dr Ovia Bue encouraged community leaders to take the right message back home.

“We are now giving the responsibility to you to take the messages from this training back and inform your communities with the correct information about the vaccine,” Dr Bue said.

After the second day of training, six attendees changed their minds and decided to get vaccinated.  Amongst them was 33-year-old woman leader Barbra Mapai. 

“Because we’re the leaders of the community we should be vaccinated before we go out and do awareness,” Barbra said.

With the support of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, Save the Children is working closely with Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Central, East Sepik, Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka and Western Highlands provinces, through staff embedded in PHAs to strengthen the vaccine rollout.