The winner of 2022 ICMDA Dignity and Right to Health Award is Dr David Mills.

This achievement is nothing short of spectacular and we, the PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health, believe Dr Mills to be a very worthy recipient.

23 years ago David Mills with his wife Karina and their family moved to Kompiam, a remote region of Enga province in Papua New Guinea. They came to work at the neglected district hospital. Seeing the deficits in healthcare provision in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea. Their persistence to provide faithful indiscriminately quality healthcare and education to their local community and their wider district in the face of tribal conflict and personal hardships has earned the Mills much respect locally, nationally and now internationally.

David Mills had a vision to change the landscape of rural health practice by training physicians with the skills needed to practice and thrive in the rural and remote regions of Papua New Guinea. Through the University of Papua New Guinea the Masters in Rural Medicine program was developed; specifically curated to cultivate a physician to work and provide an impactful and sustainable service through stellar healthcare knowledge and skills, topped with leadership, management and basic infrastructure know-how in their tool belt too. This specialist medical training program has planted the seeds of change that we hope will bear fruit for many years to come to change the landscape of rural health provision in our country to be that of quality, accessibility and vibrancy.

Dr David Mills is also the founder and visionary of this very society!

We commend the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) for recognising the outstanding contribution David Mills has made to healthcare in Papua New Guinea. It is a well deserved!

The mission of ICMDA is to start and strengthen national Christian medical and dental movements. Learn more about ICMDA.