Families living in remote communities along the Kokoda Track are gaining improved access to essential healthcare through Australia-supported maternal and child health patrols.

For Joyce Joe and her one-year-old son, Maxwell, accessing medical services can mean travelling for up to 30 minutes by dinghy, followed by an hour-long drive.

Joyce said a new aid post near Sirinumu Primary School has improved access, but remains difficult to reach for families living further away.

“There’s a new aid post now near Sirinumu Primary School, but that’s still 30 to 40 minutes away by dinghy for us.”

The quarterly Maternal and Child Health patrols, funded through Australia’s Kokoda Initiative Partnership, provide critical healthcare services to communities where rugged terrain and long distances remain major barriers to medical care.

Maxwell recently received treatment through an MCH patrol while recovering from severe pneumonia.

Joyce said she was grateful that healthcare services were being brought directly to remote communities.

“I’m grateful these services are being brought to our village. In the past, we had to travel by dinghy and then walk to Sogeri Health Centre if there was no public transport.”

More than 1,200 people across the Sirinumu communities accessed essential health services during the latest MCH patrol.

Women and young people accounted for 59 per cent of those who received treatment.

The patrols addressed a range of common health conditions, including high blood pressure and respiratory infections, while also providing maternal and child health services.

Australia, through its partnership with the Provincial Health Authority, continues to support efforts to bring healthcare closer to remote communities across the Kokoda region.