Household food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated socioeconomic demographic factors in Papua New Guinea: evidence from the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on global food security, but little is known about the impact on food security at the household level. We examined the prevalence and socioeconomic demographic factors for household food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea.

Methods: Household socioeconomic demographic data from the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System were collected from six main provinces in 2020 (37880 participants) and compared with the 2018 data (5749 participants).

Validating the InterVA-5 cause of death analytical tool: using mortality data from the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System in Papua New Guinea.

Objective: InterVA-5 is a new version of an analytical tool for cause of death (COD) analysis at the population level. This study validates the InterVA-5 against the medical review method, using mortality data in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Design And Setting: This study used mortality data collected from January 2018 to December 2020 in eight surveillance sites of the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System (CHESS), established by the PNG Institute of Medical Research in six major provinces.

Leading causes of deaths in the mortality transition in Papua New Guinea: evidence from the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System.

Background: Changing causes of deaths in the mortality transition in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are poorly understood. This study analysed community-level data to identify leading causes of death in the population and variations across age groups and sexes, urban-rural sectors and provinces.

Method: Mortality surveillance data were collected from 2018-20 as part of the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System (CHESS), using the World Health Organization 2016 verbal autopsy (VA) instrument.

Social determinants of injury-attributed mortality in Papua New Guinea: new data from the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System.

Objective: This study reported the prevalence and sociodemographic distribution of mortalities attributed to injuries in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Setting: As part of a longitudinal study, mortality data were collected from the population who live in eight surveillance sites of the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System, established in six major provinces in PNG. Verbal autopsy (VA) interviews were conducted by the surveillance team with close relatives of the deceased, using the WHO 2016 VA instrument from January 2018 to December 2020.

Improving methods to measure comparable mortality cause (IMMCMC) gold standard verbal autopsy dataset.

Objectives: Gold standard cause of death data is critically important to improve verbal autopsy (VA) methods in diagnosing cause of death where civil and vital registration systems are inadequate or poor. As part of a three-country research study-Improving Methods to Measure Comparable Mortality by Cause (IMMCMC) study-data were collected on clinicopathological criteria-based gold standard cause of death from hospital record reviews with matched VAs. The purpose of this data note is to make accessible a de-identified format of these gold standard VAs for interested researchers to improve the diagnostic accuracy of VA methods.

Mapping routine malaria incidence at village level for targeted control in Papua New Guinea.

Malaria surveillance and response-systems are essential for identifying the areas most affected by malaria and for targeting interventions and optimising resources. This study aimed to assess whether the visualisation of routinely collected health facility data linked to village of residence provides evidence for targeting control interventions in four sentinel health facilities in Papua New Guinea. A video format was used to visualise the dynamics in case incidence over time and space alongside photographs illustrating the context of the data collection in the study sites.

Repeated mosquito net distributions, improved treatment, and trends in malaria cases in sentinel health facilities in Papua New Guinea.

Background: Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN), improved diagnosis and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) have reduced malaria prevalence in Papua New Guinea since 2008. Yet, national incidence trends are inconclusive due to confounding effects of the scale-up of rapid diagnostic tests, and inconsistencies in routine reporting.

Methods: Malaria trends and their association with LLIN and ACT roll-out between 2010 and 2014 in seven sentinel health facilities were analysed.

The epidemiological transition in Papua New Guinea: new evidence from verbal autopsy studies.

Background: Recent economic growth in Papua New Guinea (PNG) would suggest that the country may be experiencing an epidemiological transition, characterized by a reduction in infectious diseases and a growing burden from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, data on cause-specific mortality in PNG are very sparse, and the extent of the transition within the country is poorly understood.

Methods: Mortality surveillance was established in four small populations across PNG: West Hiri in Central Province, Asaro Valley in Eastern Highlands Province, Hides in Hela Province and Karkar Island in Madang Province.

Improving performance of the Tariff Method for assigning causes of death to verbal autopsies.

Background: Reliable data on the distribution of causes of death (COD) in a population are fundamental to good public health practice. In the absence of comprehensive medical certification of deaths, the only feasible way to collect essential mortality data is verbal autopsy (VA). The Tariff Method was developed by the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium (PHMRC) to ascertain COD from VA information.

Evaluation of the Global Fund-supported National Malaria Control Program in Papua New Guinea, 2009-2014.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the major funaer Of the National Malaria Control Program in Papua New Guinea (PNG). One of the requirements of a Global Fund grant is the regular and accurate reporting of program outcomes and impact. Under-performance as well as failure to report can result in reduction or discontinuation of program funding.

Epidemiology of malaria in the Papua New Guinean highlands.

Objectives: To conduct an in-depth investigation of the epidemiology of malaria in the Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlands and provide a basis for evidence-based planning and monitoring of intensified malaria control activities.

Methods: Between December 2000 and July 2005, 153 household-based, rapid malaria population surveys were conducted in 112 villages throughout the central PNG highlands. The presence of malaria infections was determined by light microscopy and risk factors assessed using a structured questionnaire.

The epidemiology of malaria in the Papua New Guinea highlands: 7. Southern Highlands Province.

As the last part of a program to survey the extent of malaria transmission in the Papua New Guinea highlands, a series of rapid malaria surveys were conducted in 2003-2004 and 2005 in different parts of Southern Highlands Province. Malaria was found to be highly endemic in Lake Kutubu (prevalence rate (PR): 17-33%), moderate to highly endemic in Erave (PR: 10-31%) and moderately endemic in low-lying parts (< 1500 m) of Poroma and Kagua (PR: 12-17%), but was rare or absent elsewhere. A reported malaria epidemic prior to the 2004 surveys could be confirmed for the Poroma (PR: 26%) but not for the lower Kagua area.

Population hemoglobin mean and anemia prevalence in Papua New Guinea: new metrics for defining malaria endemicity?

Background: The hypothesis is that hemoglobin-based metrics are useful tools for estimating malaria endemicity and for monitoring malaria control strategies. The aim of this study is to compare population hemoglobin mean and anemia prevalence to established indicators of malaria endemicity, including parasite rates, rates of enlarged spleens in children, and records of (presumptive) malaria diagnosis among populations living with different levels of malaria transmission.

Methodology/principal Findings: Convenience sample, multisite cross-sectional household surveys conducted in Papua New Guinea.

High sensitivity detection of Plasmodium species reveals positive correlations between infections of different species, shifts in age distribution and reduced local variation in Papua New Guinea.

Background: When diagnosed by standard light microscopy (LM), malaria prevalence can vary significantly between sites, even at local scale, and mixed species infections are consistently less common than expect in areas co-endemic for Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. The development of a high-throughput molecular species diagnostic assay now enables routine PCR-based surveillance of malaria infections in large field and intervention studies, and improves resolution of species distribution within and between communities.

Methods: This study reports differences in the prevalence of infections with all four human malarial species and of mixed infections as diagnosed by LM and post-PCR ligase detection reaction-fluorescent microsphere (LDR-FMA) assay in 15 villages in the central Sepik area of Papua New Guinea.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to parvovirus B19 among children in Papua New Guinea.

Parvovirus B19 (B19) is a common childhood infection that has recently been found to be associated with severe anemia in Papua New Guinean children. Population surveys were performed in 15 villages in Maprik district, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea in 2005. Plasma samples collected from children less than 10 years of age were tested for IgM and IgG antibodies to B19 by enzyme immunoassay.