Stories from the field: Bernnie (PNG)

I love doing outreach community health visits. People in the village are constraint to transport accessibility to basic health services. I had to reach out to them. Love working with people in the community. - Bernnie

Bernnie completed FETPNG in 2015, is a member of the inaugural Advanced FETPNG cohort (concluding in 2021), and is the newly-appointed FETPNG convenor.

In celebration of World Field Epidemiology Day on September 7, Bernnie shared with us some memorable moments from her field epidemiology career so far, highlighting the varied opportunities she has had to engage with communities to protect their health:

1) Conducting COVID-19 awareness in an urban community in Papua New Guinea, February 2020

2) Bernnie doing COVID-19 awareness in a rural community in Papua New Guinea, March 2020

3) Working with a team to conduct a COVID-19 advocacy meeting with rural health centre staff, March 2020

4) Teaching the importance of hand hygiene for protecting ourselves against COVID-19, and demonstrating how to use a Tippy Tap during a risk communication and community engagement session in a rural community, April 2020

5) Bernnie training interviewers to conduct a phone-based Vaccine Hesitancy study, May 2021

6) Last, but not least: rest and self-care is crucial for a field epidemiologist working hard to protect their community! A refreshing coconut stop after a risk communication and community engagement session, March 2020