My husband had six wives and he abused all of them. He smashed up my one year old baby. I sought refuge with my family but they owed money to my husband. I have been to the family support centre five times for bashings because of my husband, and I still have to live with my husband.
- Woman, age unknown, Port Moresby General Hospital
Home to more than seven million people, Papua New Guinea is the South Pacific’s largest island. A country of rich ethnic and cultural diversity, where more than 800 languages are spoken, this Commonwealth country gained its independence from Australia in 1975. It is estimated that more than two thirds of PNG's population lives under the poverty line, on less than US $1.25 a day. The country also has the worst health indicators in the Pacific region. Since 2009 MSF has treated 27,993 survivors of family and sexual violence care in Papua New Guinea and carried out 68,840 major and minor surgeries, one third of which were for violence-related injuries.
Read MSF's press release "Papua New Guinea: New MSF report reveals cycle of abuse for survivors of family and sexual violence"
Read
MSF's new report "Return to Abuser"
Find out more about MSF's work in Papua-new-guinea