News

Healthcare outreach transforms remote PNG communities

By Benalla Ensign

Dec 2, 2025

Hannah and Michaela Humphries with Stuart Kreltszheim, chair and board director of the No Roads Expedition Foundation.

The Rotary Club of Benalla recently welcomed guest speakers Hannah and Michaela Humphries, medical professionals and volunteers with the charitable organisation No Roads Expedition Foundation.

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They shared their experiences from a recent health outreach patrol to the Tufi region of Papua New Guinea, where medically trained personnel worked to improve the lives of disadvantaged people in remote villages by building community capacity.

NREF sends healthcare professionals to isolated communities, providing direct medical care while also training village health workers.

Their work encompasses maternal and infant health, wound and infection management and nutrition, ensuring that local knowledge and skills are strengthened alongside immediate medical support.

Looking ahead, NREF will partner with ChildFund PNG and local health authorities over the next three years to tackle the country’s severe tuberculosis crisis.

With around 30,000 new cases annually and some provinces under a state of emergency, this initiative aims to reinforce frontline health systems and deliver sustainable improvements in community health.

A Rotary Club Benalla spokesperson said it was a privilege to hear first-hand how dedicated volunteers were transforming health outcomes in remote PNG communities.