Papua New Guinea (PNG) was selected as one of the five countries to pilot the Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) baseline assessment tool in 2024. Under the leadership and with the support of Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG), the initiation of this assessment subsequently led to the initiation of the legal review of one of PNG’s MLDI laws and regulations, the Coroner’s Act of 1953 and its Regulations of 1955.
This was the second MLDI stakeholder workshop co-hosted by DJAG and Data for Health Initiatives (D4HI) over 2 days with representation also from the Medicolegal Death Investigation International Community of Practice (MLDI ICoP) and Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH).
The aims of the workshop are:
To present the MLDI baseline assessment results and discuss and plan next steps, and
The meeting is also an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and enhance effectiveness in the overall initiation and establishment of a robust and functional MLDI system in PNG.
The objectives of the workshop include:
The Department of Justice and Attorney General to present an update of the Legal review of the Coroner’s Act 1953 and next steps
Provide an overview of the importance of MLDI systems and the MLDI tool used for the Baseline Assessment
Present the findings of the National Level and Facility level assessment
For stakeholders to discuss current roles within the MLDI space, discuss challenges, bottlenecks as well as their response to assessment findings.