Burnet Institute’s 'Mentor mothers' program empowers local volunteers to advocate for essential HIV, Syphilis and Hep B screenings and treatment for pregnant women in Papua New Guinea.
For over a decade, your support has made it possible for Burnet Institute teams in Papua New Guinea to collaborate with local agencies on keeping communities safe from infectious diseases, and supporting the health of mothers and their babies.
One of the centrepieces of this work is Mentor Mothers: a volunteer peer-support program that raises awareness about preventative healthcare for mothers at risk of passing on HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases to their children during pregnancy, delivery, labour, or breastfeeding.
The 'mentor mothers' are women living with HIV who have been trained as advocates, speaking with men and women in their own communities about the importance of getting screened, tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases before pregnancy and during the first trimester. Mentors also encourage pregnant women to use antenatal care and deliver their babies at a health facility with trained medical staff.
This initiative is made possible by the support of partner organisations including PNG’s National Department of Health, the Australasian Society of HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine. Your contributions help us deliver grassroots programs such as these, with the power to quickly and meaningfully transform health outcomes for families and communities.
