Male involvement in sexual and reproductive health in the Mendi district, Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND: Lack of male involvement and support for sexual and reproductive health services is seen by many Papua New Guinean women as a barrier to accessing services. Poor utilization of services by both men and women is reflected in high maternal mortality and high rates of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in the Southern Highlands Province. It is therefore important to understand the type of services provided, men’s perceptions of these services and the Health Sector’s capacity to involve men in its programs. METHODS: Information from interviews of married men, officers in charge of health facilities, and information from a focus group discussion with village leaders was collected to assess possible constraints to reproductive and sexual health care delivery. RESULTS: Although many men had heard about antenatal care, supervised births, family planning and sexually transmitted infections including, HIV/AIDS, many were unaware of their importance and of the types of services provided to address these issues. There was a very strong association between men’s literacy and their knowledge of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) issues, their discussion of these issues with their wives and their wives’ utilisation of sexual and reproductive health services. Some men considered SRH services to be important but gave priority to social obligations. Although men made most decisions for sexual and reproductive issues, pregnancy, child birth and rearing of children were regarded as women’s responsibilities. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS appeared to have changed sexual behaviour in some men. Services for men in this rural setting were inadequate and service providers lacked the capacity to involve men in reproductive health issues. CONCLUSION: Poor knowledge, socio-cultural factors and inadequate and inappropriate services for men hampered utilization of services and impaired support for their wives’ service utilization. Programmatic and policy initiatives should focus on improving service delivery to accommodate men in sexual and reproductive health

Malaria in the Gazelle Peninsula, Papua New Guinea

The Gazelle Peninsula is a densely populated area of major economic importance in the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Malaria is endemic in the Gazelle Peninsula and changing patterns of transmission reflect those observed elsewhere in Papua New Guinea. Methods of malaria control have followed global strategies with a change in the recent fifteen years towards control at the individual and village level. This study examines the epidemiology of malaria in the Gazelle Peninsula. It examines the history of malaria in Papua New Guinea, past attempts to control the disease and malaria morbidity patterns in the Peninsula. Malaria parasite prevalence was estimated by regular blood examination of children. The incidence of malaria was estimated from blood slide surveys of patients attending health facilities. Some behavioural characteristics of a major vector, Anopheles farauti, were studied. Ten years after the original epidemiological study a review of malaria on the Duke of York Islands was conducted with special attention to permethrin impregnated bed nets and their effect on malaria transmission. Malaria remained hypo-mesoendemic in most areas of the Gazelle Peninsula with Plasmodium falciparum infection rates being twice those of Plasmodium vivax. Higher than average rates of infection were noted in Sinivit, Bitapaka and Duke of York Island census divisions. In villages below 200 metres (above sea level) parasite rates were approximately double those for villages above this altitude. Children under one year of age had infection rates considerably lower than those for older children in both high and low altitude villages. People of all ages were affected by clinical malaria and there was a correlation between blood slide positivity in clinics and admissions to hospital. Malaria transmission was briefly decreased by use of permethrin impregnated bed nets on the Duke of York Islands. However, a trial failed to demonstrate the long term usefulness of this method of malaria control. Anopheles farauti maintained vigorous man-biting throughout the night. The vector was sensitive to DDT at doses used in household spraying. Potential malaria control measures are discussed in the light of the findings of the study and in the spirit of primary health care

Nickel(II) complexes of heterodichalcogenido and monochalcogenido imidodiphosphinate ligands : AACVD synthesis of nickel ditelluride

The reaction of two equivalents of (TMEDA) Li[((EPPr2)-Pr-i)((TePPr2)-Pr-i)N] (E = S, Se) with NiBr2(DME) in THF at 23 degrees C yields homoleptic complexes of heterodichalcogenido PNP ligands Ni[((EPPr2)-Pr-i)((TePPr2)-Pr-i)N](2) (2, E = S; 3, E = Se). Similarly, the complexes Ni[((PPr2)-Pr-i)((EPPr2)-Pr-i)N](2) (4, E = Se; 5, E = Te) are obtained by in situ deprotonation of the neutral monochalcogenides E=(PPr2NP)-Pr-i(H)Pr-i(2) (E = Se, Te) with (BuLi)-Bu-n in THF at -78 degrees C followed by addition of NiBr2(DME). The complexes 2-5 have been characterised by multinuclear (H-1, P-31, Se-77 and Te-125) NMR spectroscopy in solution and by X-ray crystallography in the solid state, the results of which show that they all exist as the square planar, trans isomers. Aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) of Ni[((SePPr2)-Pr-i)((TePPr2)-Pr-i)N](2) yields crystalline Ni0.51Te films at 450-500 degrees C, which were analysed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)