Taylor praised the Centrer for Excellence in Management and Humanitarian Assistance, a U.S. Department of Defense organization, for organizing a disaster and emergency workshop in Port Moresby on Sept 22-23.
“The common sense, practical training will enable PNG authorities to save hundreds if not thousands of lives in the event of a natural disaster or disease outbreak,” Taylor said.
The three-day workshop is called “Civil-military coordination in planning and response to emergencies and disasters in PNG.”
It was focused on communicable diseases control and prevention strategies.
The training is an improved capacity to respond to health emergencies and disasters by identifying opportunities for civil-military partnership in responding to emergencies.
It identified strengths and opportunities in the coordination of diseases surveillance activities to improve the response mechanisms in PNG.
There were representatives from the department of health, defense force, national disaster centre and provincial health offices, World Health Organization, United Nation’s International Children’s Emergency Fund and AusAID.
USAID hosted a training last month in Port Moresby under its support program, Coral Triangle Initiative.
Participants from the six CTI countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste attended.
These countries have the most diverse marine environment in the world. In 2009 they formed CTI with the aim of protecting their environment, among other things.
