Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea – The Child Nutrition and Social Protection (CNSP) Project, funded by the World Bank and implemented in partnership with the Simbu Provincial Government, Simbu Provincial Health Authority (SiPHA), Save the Children Foundation, and the National Department of Health (NDOH), has launched a month-long training on Household Monitoring Tool Training and Implementation.

Launched in Simbu Province in 2024, the CNSP Project is designed to reduce child stunting, a condition affecting nearly 48% of children in Papua New Guinea—one of the highest rates globally. Beyond its core goal, the project has already contributed to improvements in other critical health indicators, including low birth weight, diarrheal cases, antenatal visits, supervised deliveries, perinatal mortality, and maternal mortality.

The training equips Village Health Assistants (VHAs) and Community Development Workers (CDWs), who serve as vital links to the province’s 340 ward councils, with enhanced skills to monitor and support households. Their role is central to ensuring that health policies reach communities effectively and sustainably.

Opening the workshop, Simbu PHA Chairman Mr. David Herman Nime and CEO Dr. Ken Kassi emphasized the importance of empowering young CDWs and VHAs to be agents of change. Their message was clear: by strengthening grassroots health workers, communities can drive forward national health policies and achieve lasting success.

Stunting and child malnutrition remain urgent problems, and the CNSP Project is helping Simbu Province and Papua New Guinea by training community health workers to build healthier families and stronger communities.