National Policy for an Integrated Health System and Local Implementation: The Case of Papua New Guinea and the Nasioi.

In line with the global strategy on traditional and alternative medicine of the World Health Organization, the Government of PNG approved a National Policy on Traditional Medicine in March 2007. The Policy provides general guidelines for developing traditional medicine in PNG and incorporating it into the primary health care system. A study was conducted among the Nasioi people of Bougainville to assess the potential for an integrated health system to be developed in one part of PNG and examine how the National Policy on Traditional Medicine might benefit this endeavour. The main objective of the study was to determine the readiness of people in the Nasioi area for an integrated form of health care. By using a non-experimental, cross-sectional study design and focused ethnographic approach, a sample of 200 Nasioi community members and 50 health care practitioners were interviewed by Nasioi-speaking research assistants. The sample groups support the idea of integrating traditional medicine into the formal health system. Some collaboration and integration of services are already occurring. Using the guidelines outlined in the National Policy to develop an integrated form of health care at the local level should result in an improved health care system.