Malaria: promoting awareness and prevention of a critical crisis in a remote area of Papua New Guinea through community involvement

Abstract

This paper describes a community project to promote awareness and prevent malaria in remote Papua New Guinea.Malaria is a significant public health issue world wide. Up to 2.7 million people per year die from malaria.It is the second most prevalent cause of death in Papua New Guinea however, critical care facilities essential for treatment of severe malaria are not available to people living in remote communities.Critical care nurses can use their knowledge of the disease process and preventive measures to influence the development of initiatives to help people in remote communities.Members of remote communities can and will engage in developing and implementing preventive strategies if they are included in the development of the project.