The New Zealand Government has supported Save the Children’s East Sepik Women and Children’s Health Programme (ESWCHP) since 1997. From the outset, this programme focused on developing a community-supported network of Village Health Volunteers (VHV) to provide primary health care in remote village settings in Papua New Guinea (PNG). A second phase of work began in 2003 with the purpose of making the programme sustainable. This phase is ending in September 2012. The programme has achieved many of its Phase II objectives: over 1370 VHVs have been trained, a large infrastructure development programme has been completed, medical supplies have improved and include supplies for VHVs, health information systems are in place and are in keeping with National and Provincial health systems, and partners are now successfully managing the VHVs. The programme has worked successfully to integrate with and strengthen the PNG health system. The health impact on women and children is not known because baseline data are not available to measure against, and the clinical quality and health promotion work of the VHVs is not assessed. However anecdotal reports and early stage research is suggestive that this work is making a contribution towards saving lives. New Zealand Government funding of the Youth Outreach Programme (YOP) commenced in 2006. It supports the YOP in the Eastern Highlands, where 60 volunteers have been trained each year to deliver information about safe sex, importance of clinical tests, and provision of free condoms, to their peers. Data indicate the volunteers have contact with about 11,000 young men and women annually. Efficient and effective processes are in place, but the volunteers need further incentives, and additional encouragement and backing from community leaders to sustain their work. Future programme activities must keep the community at the core of both ESWCHP and YOP, with gender training playing a central role in all ongoing activities.