Learning from community narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea

In this paper we use constructivism to explore community members’ accounts of how socio-cultural and behavioral factors provided meaning to the COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea, adherence to “niupela pasin” (new normal), and vaccination acceptance. We purposively selected 50 participants including community members, leaders, and church representatives for semi-structured interviews from urban and rural areas of Madang and Eastern Highlands Provinces. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings showed how people applied risk prevention strategies and actively sought localized solutions to deal with the pandemic. The pandemic also disrupted socio-cultural norms, such as communal gatherings, care for the sick, and attending funerals, leading to distress and interruptions of interpersonal relationships and extended family structures. Economic hardship, particularly during lockdowns, disproportionately affected those people from lower socioeconomic levels. Strong Christian faith and prayer played a key role in either adhering to “niupela pasin” and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance or rejection of the vaccine. Conspiracy theories and misinformation often propagated through social media, fueled fears and doubts about vaccine efficacy. By articulating and understanding these culturally informed findings, the paper demonstrates how people undertook ordinary theorizing about their worlds to contextualize, modify, or significantly change the policies and strategies developed by experts using conventional science. Preparation for future pandemics can be enhanced by adding to public health policies and guidelines community perspectives and health promotion principles from the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.