Kokoda Track Foundation’s (KTF) original focus on the region of Kokoda in Oro province has expanded significantly, and KTF now works with communities across PNG’s 22 provinces. KTF’s team, 85% of whom are Papua New Guinean, work in partnership with communities to identify their needs, hopes and strengths, and together implement education, health, equality and leadership programs that achieve long-term change.

With support from the Australian government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), Healthy Communities is a five-year project under the umbrella of KTF’s Health Program. The Healthy Communities project is informed by learning from KTF’s previous work in health across rural Papua New Guinea and has pivoted focus based on feedback and evaluation.

Healthy Communities is partnered with Oro and Central Provincial Departments of Health, the Oro Government and 14 aid posts, health centres and hospitals across Oro and Central Provinces in Papua New Guinea to help provide primary healthcare to rural and remote communities. In and around the historic Kokoda Track, the target communities of Oro and Central Provinces face challenges such as geography, sparse population density and under-investment in services. With a holistic lens of development, the improved health of the target communities is key to improvements in a range of other outcomes, including education, equality and leadership.

The revised Healthy Communities project is also aligned with DFAT’s partnership for recovery policy and has been expanded to respond accordingly. Healthy Community’s five primary aims are:

1. The provision of primary healthcare services at aid posts
2. Immunisation against preventable diseases
3. Water, hygiene & sanitation (WASH) for improved health
4. Health security & COVID-19 response and prevention
5. Antenatal & Postnatal Care

KTF uses a Theory of Change model to outline how it will achieve its mission and strategic goals. KTF understands that the issue of poverty is complex and faces an intersectionality of causes and challenges, including a lack of access to assets, human rights and social support.

All of KTF’s Programs are informed by the Theory of Change and how activities are understood to produce a series of results that contribute to achieving the final intended impacts. The Theory of Change is the foundation of KTF’s programs that seek to lift communities out of poverty by working across education, health, equality and leadership in partnership with communities, governments, community leaders, NGOs and provincial authorities.

KTF continuously engages extensive internal and external monitoring and evaluation processes to increase learning surrounding project design and effectiveness and the success of outcomes being achieved through projects. The recent project evaluation highlighted the immense impact the activities have had on the surrounding region. It also demonstrated the important role that KTF plays in delivering quality primary health care in the region.

The five primary outcomes for healthy communities include:

1. Improved health security in the region, including improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene solutions, an increase in vaccination rates, a decrease in the number of people dying from preventable and treatable illnesses and an increase in the number of health facilities operating effectively, providing high-quality primary healthcare
2. An educated and prepared healthcare system confident in delivering high-quality healthcare and responding to emergencies across rural and remote communities in the region.
3. Increased communities’ preparedness to respond to a public health emergency.
4. A decrease in maternal and infant mortality rates in the region, including an increase in the safe delivery of babies by a qualified health worker in an equipped facility.
5. A decrease in gender-based and family violence

Through extensive and detailed work on project design completed by KTF staff, continuous learning and evaluation processes and collaboration with local community, organisations and government partners, KTF has made significant achievements in these five program outcomes.

To find out more about Kokoda Track Foundation, visit ktf.ngo