International Development

Tetra Tech’s Amy Gildea explains how an understanding of the social economy, politics, and culture in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is crucial to improving health outcomes on the island in the Western Pacific. In this post, Amy, the managing director of international development, Asia Pacific for Coffey, a Tetra Tech Company, explains that health and development programs need to be designed smarter and in a way that considers all the drivers of change.

This post originally ran on Devex.

PNG has historically been of key strategic importance for Australia. As the country’s closest neighbor, PNG has represented a key line of defense by maintaining a social and political balance between Australia and the South Pacific region. As a result, successive Australian governments have attempted to support—through financial, social, and other schemes—the development, advancement, and stability of PNG’s political systems, society,