The direct medical cost of trauma aetiologies and injuries in a resource limited setting of Papua New Guinea: A prospective cost of illness study.

Background: Injuries are a significant public health concern globally. Papua New Guinea has failed to achieve all eight health millennium development goals, and in doing so has not prioritized injuries in previous health policies. Understanding costs related to injuries can ultimately guide policies for surgical service delivery in achieving local, and universal health coverage objectives.

Universal access to safe, affordable, timely surgical and anaesthetic care in Papua New Guinea: the six global health indicators.

Background: The unmet global burden of surgical disease is substantial. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) estimated that 5 billion people do not have access to safe, affordable and timely surgical care, with 80% of those without access living in low- and middle-income countries. The Milne Bay Province (pop 331 000) of Papua New Guinea, with an archipelago of islands up to 750 km from its capital, Alotau, has only one hospital capable of performing Caesarean Section, Emergency Laparotomy and managing an open fracture, the three Bellwether procedures.