Marian Faa

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Marian Faa

Children make up 43 per cent of Papua New Guinea's population but for many of them, life is incredibly tough. More than half of all kids don't have access to basic water services according to the UN, and one in five have experienced violence in their lifetime.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Marian Faa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern and says neighbouring countries are at risk as it declares an outbreak of polio virus in Papua New Guinea. Community transmission of the virus was confirmed in the city of Lae, after a screening program detected the fast-spreading virus in stool samples from two healthy children. Health Minister Elias Kapovore said  a mass immunisation coverage covering up to 3.5 million children has started.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Marian Faa

Women are being forced to give birth on the floor due to a lack of beds In Papua New Guinea's main hospital. Years of alleged neglect by hospital management has prompted staff to speak out, saying the facility simply can't cope.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Marian Faa |Theckla Gunga

Less than 24 hours after giving birth, Christina Paulus is lying on the floor of a busy corridor in Papua New Guinea's main hospital. Nurses hurry around with charts. A cleaner wheels a mop bucket past her head. Beside her on the linoleum floor, another woman's baby starts to cry. As she rolls over to settle her newborn, Christina winces in pain. She lost more than a litre of blood during the birth. "The wounds are there. So when I'm sitting on the floor, it's uncomfortable," she says.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Marian Faa

It's been an emotional few days for Catholics in Papua New Guinea who were visited by Pope Francis late last year. And for the country's first ever cardinal, there is an important job ahead as he prepares to join the conclave in Rome for the first time.