Dr. James Wari

Dr. James Wari is a senior medical officer at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH), Papua New Guinea's largest and principal referral hospital. With 14 years of clinical experience, Dr. Wari is a highly capable generalist clinician who manages the full breadth of medical conditions encountered in PNG's complex health environment, including high-burden infectious diseases, trauma, obstetric emergencies, and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.

PNG presents unique medical challenges, including some of the world's highest rates of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, alongside rapidly increasing rates of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Dr. Wari's extensive experience in this context makes him adept at managing multi-pathology presentations and practising evidence-based medicine within significant resource constraints.

Dr. Wari is fluent in English, Tok Pisin — Papua New Guinea's national lingua franca — and Motu, enabling effective communication with patients from across PNG's extraordinarily diverse linguistic landscape. He is involved in training medical students at the University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine.

Dr. Wari completed his MBBS at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the country's primary medical training institution. He subsequently completed a Graduate Certificate in Tropical Medicine through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), equipping him with advanced skills in the diagnosis and management of tropical infectious diseases.

He has completed rural generalist training through the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) framework, supported by the Australian Government's PNG health partnership. He has undertaken short courses in emergency medicine, obstetric emergencies, and HIV management through WHO and the PNG National Department of Health.

Dr. Wari's clinical expertise spans a broad range of general medical, emergency, and tropical disease conditions. He is skilled in the rapid diagnosis and management of falciparum malaria, including complicated malaria with cerebral and severe manifestations. He manages tuberculosis including drug-resistant TB, typhoid fever, dengue, and leptospirosis.

In emergency medicine, Dr. Wari manages trauma, acute medical emergencies, obstetric complications, and poisoning. For non-communicable diseases — increasingly prevalent in urban PNG — he manages hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular risk. He performs minor surgical procedures including wound debridement, abscess drainage, and suturing.

Dr. Wari is dedicated to serving Papua New Guinea's diverse communities and improving health outcomes in one of the world's most challenging healthcare environments. He has contributed to audit reports on malaria management outcomes at PMGH and presented findings at the PNG Medical Society Annual Conference.

He collaborates with the PNG Institute of Medical Research (IMR) on malaria surveillance studies and participates in WHO PNG Country Office consultations on communicable disease management guidelines. He contributes to the training of junior medical officers and nursing staff in evidence-based tropical disease management.

Port Moresby General Hospital is the principal referral hospital for Papua New Guinea and serves patients from across PNG's 22 provinces as well as occasional referrals from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Complex cases requiring specialist care beyond PMGH's capacity are typically referred to Australia — most commonly Brisbane or Cairns — through established referral pathways.

Dr. Wari's consultations are primarily conducted in person. For patients considering travel to Port Moresby for medical care, initial contact through the PMGH outpatient booking system is recommended. Patients with complex conditions may be assessed for suitability for referral to Australia.

Dr. Wari has been recognised by the PNG National Department of Health for his contribution to malaria control programmes in the National Capital District. He received a commendation from the PNG Medical Society for clinical leadership during the COVID-19 response and has been acknowledged for his role in medical education at UPNG School of Medicine.