PNGUoT to Co-Host 60th Medical Symposium in Lae
The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT) will co-host the 60th Medical Symposium of the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea in Lae next week, bringing together more than 700 participants for discussions on the country’s health system and the future of Provincial Health Authorities.
Held under the theme, “Provincial Health Authorities: Past, Present and Future,” the symposium will provide a platform for medical professionals, health administrators, academics, researchers and other stakeholders to examine the performance of Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs), their challenges and their future role in improving healthcare delivery across Papua New Guinea.
Speaking during a media conference ahead of the symposium, PNGUoT Vice Chancellor Professor Ora Renagi said the University was pleased to partner with the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea to host the national event.
“On behalf of the University Council, management and staff, I am truly delighted to be a co-host with the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea to co-host the ever-popular Medical Symposium at the University starting on Monday,” Professor Renagi said.
He said the partnership reflected the broader role universities should play in generating knowledge and applying it to improve people’s lives.
Professor Renagi said higher education should ultimately contribute to higher standards of living through the transfer of science, technology and knowledge into communities.
“The standards of higher education must translate to higher standards of living. This is the purpose of the education that we provide, really to translate and transfer the technology, the science through medicine, the knowledge through public health and knowledge through technology to improve livelihoods,” he said.
He said addressing Papua New Guinea’s health challenges required cooperation beyond the medical profession, particularly in areas such as engineering, agriculture, food technology, architecture, construction, surveying, computer science and education.
The symposium, he said, provided an opportunity to bring these disciplines together to support the work of Provincial Health Authorities and improve the wellbeing of communities.
Professor Renagi also highlighted PNGUoT’s growing involvement in public health, following the Academic Board’s approval last year for the establishment of a Public Health Institute at the University.
He said the University was working with the George Institute and the University of New South Wales towards developing programs associated with the institute.
Symposium to Review Provincial Health Authorities
Speaking on behalf of the health sector partners, Morobe Provincial Health Authority CEO Dr Kipas Binga said the symposium was particularly significant because it would provide an opportunity to examine the Provincial Health Authority system and consider how it could be strengthened for the future.
He said the theme was timely as Papua New Guinea looks towards the next 50 years of its development.
“For the next 50 years, let’s talk about the systems. How do we strengthen the systems moving forward? The theme is very relevant, I believe, at this time to set the pace or reset our mindsets for the next 50 years,” Dr Binga said.
He said holding the symposium at a university was significant because research and new knowledge needed to move beyond academic institutions and be translated into practical improvements in society.
“New knowledge needs to be implemented as it’s generated through research, science and technology. Knowledge must not sit on the shelves. We want to see the impact of that knowledge in society,” he said.
Dr Binga said improving health outcomes also required greater attention to the social determinants of health, including roads, bridges, agriculture, food security, infrastructure and other conditions that influence people’s wellbeing.
He said the partnership with PNGUoT created an opportunity to connect expertise in these areas with the health sector.
A key discussion he hoped would emerge from the symposium was a stronger focus on preventative health and keeping healthy populations healthy, alongside treating those who are already sick.
“We need to spend money to keep the healthy population healthy. As we bring the sick to health, we are also equally responsible to keep the healthy population healthy,” he said.
He said the symposium should ultimately lead to practical outcomes for the country’s health system.
“I hope it translates to policy directives that can actually be practically implemented,” he said.
More Than 700 Participants Expected
More than 700 participants are expected to attend the symposium, with delegates travelling to Lae from across Papua New Guinea.
The organizing committee said preparations were nearing completion, with participants expected to begin arriving in Lae over the weekend.
The symposium will include scientific presentations, discussions by Provincial Health Authority leaders and health professionals, specialty group sessions and exhibitions by participating organisations and sponsors.
The 2026 gathering marks the 60th Medical Symposium organised by the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea and the eighth time the symposium has been hosted in Morobe Province.
Through the partnership between PNGUoT and the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea, organisers hope this year’s symposium will not only examine the challenges facing the country’s health system, but strengthen the connection between research, technology, public health and practical solutions that improve the wellbeing of Papua New Guineans.