Lukautim Yu Yet Gut (Take Good Care of Yourself): Moka Gomo Women Pursuing Health in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic research and interviews with women in Imbonggu (Southern Highlands Province), this article explores contemporary cultural beliefs and health practices, including health-seeking experiences. We show that contrary to some expectations, women do believe in biomedicine and their cultural beliefs do not generally seem to prevent them from seeking medical care. We find that women aspire to ‘take good care’ of themselves, and repeatedly pursue medical treatment, even when a cure is elusive. Contemporary cultural values such as comfort, strength and freedom encourage women to use medical services and they rarely engage with healers categorised as traditional. Reproductive abandonment in Papua New Guinea includes failing to provide medical infrastructure, failing to recognise the structural and social origins of ill health, and making assumptions or generalisations about women’s health beliefs and behaviours. These conditions limit women’s ability to have healthy (re)productive lives.

Keywords:

• Women’s Health
• Culture
• Medical Pluralism
• Imbonggu
• Papua New Guinea

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge those who supported Ellen and her research, especially the late Leo Apurel Kulumbu, Francis Puringi, Kowangil village leaders and key informants in Port Moresby; the late Kepa Kanekane for hosting Ellen in his home and arranging visits to Moka Gomo villages; Thomas Tanda, Transport Coordinator; Research Assistants: Monica Thomas, Stanley Thomas and Elizabeth Alphonse, who assisted and accompanied Ellen to every village; the Nurses, Community Health Workers, Health Extension Officers (HEO) and Imbonggu District Health Manager Aluwe Yala; and the women from Kou, Maitana, Komakul, Kowangil, Kiopala, Orei, and Ambupulu villages who shared their stories and experiences. The doctoral study was conducted with the support of mentors, colleagues and friends at the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program at the ANU and supervised by Richard Eves, Graham Fordham and Jenny Munro. It was funded through an Australia Awards Scholarship from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The study was conducted with ethics approval from The Australian National University and PNG’s Medical Research Ethics Committee.

2 All names are pseudonyms.