Puncak Jaya district, located in the highlands of Papua province, is one of the least developed districts and one of the most remote areas in Indonesia. The district is only accessible by plane and communities in villages must then be reached by foot.
The population has to cope with rapid socio-economic changes (migration, customary structures changing, introduction of modern commodities) that contribute to the transmission of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Levels of HIV/AIDS amongst Papuans are 15 times higher than non- Papuans. The province has also the highest maternal and infant mortality rate and the lowest life expectancy at birth compared to the national average.
Doctors of the World (DOW) has been working in the Papuan highlands for 12 years and is one of the few international NGOs working in the field for and with Papuan communities. The DOW programme is based on a medical and anthropological expertise and its objective is to strengthen the right to healthcare for the population in Papua. The activities are developed in partnership with a local NGO and the health authorities, in accordance with the local socio-cultural context: support for health centres, HIV/AIDS prevention; sexual and reproductive health programmes integrating the cultural aspects; training and follow-up with peer educators, nurses, midwives and community health workers from villages.
