Alumni in Action: Clement Malau, MPH ’95
“Growing up in a remote village in Papua New Guinea’s East Sepik Province, I was raised by subsistence farmer parents. Going to school meant travelling to diverse places and locations—experiences that shaped my commitment to improving the quality of life for all people, particularly through public health practice.
Since graduating from Harvard Chan School in 1995, I’ve dedicated my career to understanding the factors that affect individuals and communities and working toward health equity in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and across the Western Pacific Region.
Building Papua New Guinea’s Second Medical School
As Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Divine Word University (DWU), I helped create Papua New Guinea’s second medical school. In 2016, we welcomed our first cohort of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students. By year’s end, we had completed all program specification documents for DWU’s health programs, ensuring quality education for future health professionals.
Transforming Papua New Guinea’s Health Sector
As Secretary for Health from 2007 to 2011, I led efforts that made PNG’s health sector one of the most progressive in the nation. During my tenure, we developed the 2011-2020 National Health Plan and PNG’s first-ever National Health Service Standards—both aligned with the country’s development goals and UN Millennium Development Goals 4, 5, and 6.
I also facilitated a complete reform and restructuring of the National Department of Health to improve governance and align the organization with the new National Health Plan.
Leading at the Provincial Level
As Provincial Administrator for East Sepik Province from 2018 to 2021, I worked across government sectors to address development challenges at the local and provincial levels. This experience deepened my understanding of how government systems operate throughout Papua New Guinea.
Key accomplishments during this time included:
- Completing the 2018-2028 East Sepik Integrated Development Plan
- Developing the 2020-2023 Corporate Strategic Plan for the Province
- Reforming the provincial public service structure to align with the Integrated Development Plan
- Improving governance processes, including systematizing how Provincial Executive Council submissions are developed and reviewed
- Leading the province’s response to COVID-19 challenges
- Organizing the peaceful send-off of Sir Michael Thomas Somare, the Father of the Nation
These reforms were designed to build trust between political leaders, the Administration, and the people of East Sepik Province, promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Contributing to Global and Regional Health
My work in Papua New Guinea opened doors to international leadership. I represented PNG as an alternate member of the Global Fund Board for the Western Pacific Region and served on the World Health Organization’s Executive Board.
I helped develop the Western Pacific Regional Strategy on Primary Health Care and Health Systems Strengthening, which was endorsed by the Western Pacific Region and approved by the Regional Committee. I also worked to build linkages between governments, NGOs, and donors to address regional health challenges.
Through my work with PNG’s National Department of Health and the National AIDS Council, I helped establish PNG’s coordinated response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This included building relationships with WHO and international donors, and negotiating a memorandum of understanding between WHO and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to create a framework for regional coordination.
As Program Director of the Regional HIV/AIDS Project, I used regional networks to facilitate collaboration between SPC, AusAID, and other key partners.
Teaching and Innovation
Drawing on my global experience with WHO, AusAID, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Burnet Institute, and other international health organizations, I taught students at Monash University and provided technical input for the Burnet Institute’s health programs.
I believe innovation in health systems development is the major challenge for the future of public health practice—and I remain committed to preparing the next generation of public health leaders to meet that challenge.”
—Clement Malau, MPH ’95
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