Papua New Guinea
The first cohort of Papua New Guinean health professionals have graduated from a nutrition short course delivered by the University of Newcastle through the Australia Awards PNG
In any society, access to food and good nutrition is the foundation for good health and development. Australia is working towards improving PNG’s capacity to address nutrition challenges with the successful completion of the first-ever Graduate Certificate in Nutrition.
Delivered by the University of Newcastle through Australia Awards PNG Short Courses, this milestone marks a major step towards establishing a local cohort of qualified nutritionists who can deliver local responses to boost the health of children and communities.
The 12-week program, delivered over seven months, consisted of pre-course workshops, study blocks in both PNG and Australia, and a final workshop, has equipped participants with essential skills to deliver evidence-based nutrition interventions across communities.
The course was specifically designed to address the severe shortage of trained nutrition professionals in Papua New Guinea and provide expert-led, coordinated nutrition strategies that contribute towards achieving the targets of Vision 2050 and the National Health Plan (2021-2030). The curriculum provided foundation skills in food science, patient assessment, client-centred counselling, and the interpretation of nutrition data – all crucial tools for improving health outcomes at local, provincial, and national levels.
The 30 participants (22 women)– came from both urban and provincial areas, representing health authorities, non-government organisations, and the private sector. Throughout their studies, they developed workplace and community-based projects aimed at addressing nutrition issues, building networks with Australian institutions and industries along the way.
The alumni of this inaugural course reflect the strength of the PNG-Australia Partnership and reinforce Australia’s commitment to supporting sustainable development through education and human resource capacity building. Alumni now join the growing ranks of Australia Awards alumni making a tangible impact in their communities.