Table 8. Health workers per population by cadre and province, 2018

2.2.3 Distribution of health workers by provinces

There is an inequitable distribution of HWs across the provinces with wide variations in the number of people served by each HW. The National Capital District has the highest proportion of HWs, and the lowest proportion is in Western Province (Table 8).

Table 8. Health workers per population by cadre and province, 2018

Provinces Total no. of health workers Medical doctors/1000 people Dental professionals/1000 people HEOs/1000 people Nurses/1000 people CHWs/1000 people Pharmacy professionals/1000 people Medical laboratory staff/1000 people Allied health professionals/1000 people

AROB

188 0.03 0.003 0.01 0.30 0.23 0.01 0.01 0.01 Central 255 0.003 – 0.04 0.10 0.57 – 0.02 –East Sepik 486 0.03 0.01 0.04 0.29 0.45 0.01 0.02 0.04 Eastern Highlands 685 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.32 0.53 0.01 0.02 0.02

East New Britain 627 0.04 0.03 0.05 0.60 0.61 0.02 0.05 0.08 Enga 458 0.04 0.01 0.03 0.30 0.41 0.004 0.02 0.02 Gulf 165 0.03 0.01 0.04 0.24 0.43 0.01 0.02 0.03 Hela 126 0.02 0.003 0.03 0.17 0.13 0.01 0.02 0.04 Jiwaka 272 0.002 0.004 0.02 0.29 0.20 – 0.01 0.01 Simbu 357 0.06 0.01 0.02 0.29 0.30 0.01 0.02 0.03 Madang 707 0.04 0.01 0.05 0.37 0.65 0.01 0.02 0.03 Manus 218 0.23 0.01 0.17 1.19 0.99 0.04 0.08 0.20 Milne Bay 858 0.06 0.03 0.09 0.80 1.50 0.02 0.04 0.07 Morobe 724 0.06 0.01 0.01 0.57 0.18 0.02 0.03 0.04 NCD 1261 0.28 0.05 0.004 1.48 0.64 0.05 0.12 0.13 New Ireland 376 0.06 0.03 0.11 0.60 0.47 0.02 0.07 0.06 Oro 228 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.35 0.46 0.01 0.02 0.03 Southern Highlands 405 0.03 0.01 0.02 0.24 0.31 0.005 0.01 0.02 West New Britain 505 0.04 0.03 0.07 0.51 0.74 0.01 0.04 0.08 Western Highlands 593 0.05 0.02 0.03 0.48 0.65 0.01 0.03 0.05 West Sepik 521 0.03 0.01 0.06 0.40 1.11 0.01 0.04 0.07 Western 73 0.04 – 0.01 0.08 0.17 – – 0.01

AROB, Autonomous Region of Bougainville; CHW, community health worker; HEO, health extension officer; NCD, National Capital District. Source: National Department of Health, 2018b; National Department of Health, 2018d.

2.2.4 Distribution of health workers by urban/rural areas

Although 87% of the population live in rural areas (The World Bank, 2019) only 34% of HWs are deployed in these areas (Table 9). There are severe shortages of medical officers and pharmacy professionals in rural areas. This is offset by the higher proportion of HEOs and CHWs who are trained to work in rural areas in the absence of doctors.