COMPASS project
Community Outreach, Men’s Programme, Advocacy and Sexual Health Services
There are many sexual and reproductive health challenges in Papua New Guinea. The use of modern contraceptives is low, and both the maternal mortality ratio and HIV prevalence rate are the highest in the Pacific region.
As of 2009 it is estimated that 0.9% of the population are living with HIV. It continues to be regarded as a generalised HIV epidemic.
Responding to these challenges, a consortium of organisations funded by AusAID launched the COMPASS project in 2008 based in Lae, Morobe Province, with offices in Kokopo East New Britain and Wewak East Sepik.
COMPASS stands for Clinical Outreach, Men’s Program, Advocacy and Sexual Health Service Strengthening and the project is funded for five-years by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
The overall partnership is led by Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia, delivered by Family Planning New South Wales who work in partnership with Family Planning International, New Zealand (FPI) and the Canberra Sexual Health Centre on the project. In Papua New Guinea, our key partners are the PNG Family Health Association and HELP Resources.
The work of FPI focuses on working with men to achieve sexual and reproductive well-being for themselves, their partners and communities by supporting male project officers to work with other men in their communities.
The aim is to educate and encourage men to take responsibility for their own sexual and reproductive health, as well as to be better partners in intimate relationships. This is in recognition of the key role that men play in contributing to the empowerment of women, and the improvement of sexual and reproductive health for all.
The COMPASS project has four core components:
Men and Boys Project
- Focuses on assisting men and boys to address the key role of men in the prevention of STIs.
- Uses community-based or workplace-based education sessions to encourage men to discuss issues related to sexual health, domestic violence, family dynamics and conflict resolution.
Health Worker Training
- Addresses issues of STI service delivery across a range of health service levels across Morobe Province and East Sepik, identifying training needs and providing training updates for health workers in STI syndromic management.
Advanced Service Support
- Strengthens clinical and management capacity in existing STI referral centres or alternative centres.
- Improves training in specialist STI health workers by creating a Certificate in Sexual Health to be offered in an open learning mode through an existing PNG educational institution.
Outreach Services
- Provides outreach clinical sexual health treatment and educational services to areas of high risk, or areas remote from current STI services in Morobe and East Sepik Provinces.
Read about how a Community Based Advocate's life has benefitted from the COMPASS project here.