apua New Guinea is the eastern half of the island of New Guinea located in Oceania and is the largest and most populated country of all the Pacific island countries. It is divided administratively into four regions: Southern Coastal Region, Northern Coastal Region, Highlands Region and Islands Region. The country’s population is geographically and culturally diverse with over 700 cultural groups, many in remote rural areas. This presents logistical challenges in health care service delivery,1 with churches and community groups providing about 50% of all health and education services in the rural sector.2 Law and order remain a key development constraint in Papua New Guinea.3
POPULATION Papua New Guinea has a young population with a median age of 20 years.4 The adolescent (10−19 years) population makes up 22.7% of the total population of Papua New Guinea. (Table 1)
EDUCATION Schooling in Papua New Guinea is neither compulsory nor free.5 Most children have to walk long distances to school because of the absence of
Table 1: Estimated number and percent of young people by age and sex in Papua New Guinea, 2010 Age (years)
Male
Total
(%) of Total Pop*
Number
(%) of Total Pop*
Number
(%) of otal Pop*
10–14
433 000
6.3
409 000
5.9
842 000
12.2
15–19
371 000
5.4
351 000
5.1
722 000
10.5
20–24
318 000
4.6
304 000
4.4
622 000
9.0
Total
1 122 000
16.3
1 064 000
15.4
2 186 000
31.7
Source: World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision. (May 2009). Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, 2009. [updated May 2009; cited 27 September 2010] http://esa. un.org/unpd/wpp2008/peps_population-by-age-and-sex_5x5.htm *Proportion was calculated based on 2010 population estimate of 6 905 000.
AusAID. Papua New Guinea [country page]. [updated 27 September 2010; cited 27 September 2010]. Available from: http://www.ausaid. gov.au/country/papua.cfm
2
Papua New Guinea: Millennium Development Goals Progress Report. Government of Papua New Guinea and United Nations in Papua New Guinea, 2004.
3
Working in fragile environments: A mid-term review of the Pacific strategy (2005-2009). Asian Development Bank, 2008.
4
Papua New Guinea has a young population with a median age of 20 years. The adolescent (10–19 years) population makes up 22.7% of the total population of Papua New Guinea. (Table 1) Reports by States: Papua New Guinea. In: Committee on the Rights of the Child. 35th session; 12-30 January 2004; Geneva. International Service for Human Rights. [cited 30 September 2010]. Available from: http://olddoc.ishr.ch/hrm/tmb/treaty/crc/reports/ crc_23-41/CRC_35.pdf
Health of Adolescents in Papua New Guinea
Female
Number
1
5
Area: 462 840 sq kma Population, 2008: 6 577 000b Rural-Urban Population: 87.5%/12.5%b Crude birth rate / Crude death rate, 2008: 31 per 1000/8 per 1000c Annual population growth rate, 2006: 2.7% per annuma Human Development Index (HDI), 2010: 0.431 (Rank: 137th of 169 countries)d Human Poverty Index, 2007: 39.6% (Rank: 121st of 135 countries)e Gross National Income per capita (PPP int. $), 2009: US$ 2260f Population living on
