PAU Promotes Health Awareness to Surrounding Communities

The Health and Wellness Department of the Koiari Park English Church (KPEC), on the Pacific Adventist University (PAU) campus, has been actively driving the health message to its church membership and the surrounding community in 2021.

The message on the impact of lifestyle on overall health has been emphasized to the campus families through several initiatives after PAU community members recently passed away due to ill health.

A recent week of health emphasis featured lectures presented by Robert Jones, an Adventist medical doctor, and several other wellness activities, such as medical checks for vendors and customers at the famous PAU Sunday Market.

For PAU faculty and students, medical checks and counseling were conducted on the grounds of KPEC. Walking groups and cooking demonstrations were also organized, and health education awareness flyers were given away.

To close the week, the Health and Wellness team traveled 100 km up the eastern seaboard of Central Province to take the message to Irupara village.

The team of around 60 people, composed of nurses, health counselors, a medical doctor, and other volunteers, spent an entire day at the village, where 100 people had their blood sugar levels and blood pressure tested for possible signs of diabetes and hypertension, respectively. The team also offered individualized counseling based on each participant’s personal health data.

The local United Church congregation joined in after their Sunday church service, with many expressing gratitude to PAU for the initiative.

After a later follow-up trip in September planned to evaluate the impact, the team aims to expand future programs to city and rural communities in Port Moresby.

This article was originally published on the website of Adventist Record