Esther Roibete Apuahe is a neurosurgeon from Morobe, Papua New Guinea, and the first female surgeon in the country.^[1] She was born in 1978 in Rabaul and has four sisters.^[2] Her father was a school teacher and instilled in Apuahe the importance of education.^[2] She is married and has three children.^[2] Esther Apuahe has contributed greatly to the field of neurosurgery, especially in the Africa-Asia region.^[3]

Prior to her surgical career, Apuahe worked in an emergency department in Rabaul.^[5] She also worked one year in pediatrics.^[5] In 2007, Apuahe worked at Vanimo General Hospital as a general surgeon, prior to specializing.^[7] In 2019, Apuahe was stationed in a one-year neurosurgery placement at Townsville Hospital as part of her training in neurosurgery.^[5] In 2015, Apuahe became the neurosurgeon at Port Moresby General Hospital following the death of Papua New Guinea's first neurosurgeon, Dr. William Kaptigau.^[7]

Esther Apuahe received the Steamships Public Sector Award of the Westpac Outstanding Women, recognizing her journey and work in the field of neurosurgery.^[8] Apuahe has contributed to various neuroscience journals on the progress of developing fields of neurosurgery in the Africa-Asia region.^[3][7]

As part of efforts to develop the field of neurosurgery throughout Africa and Asia, Esther Apuahe is part of the Africa-Asia Neurosurgery Collaborative Group (ASAFRIN), an initiative to address new and existing brain tumor programs, as there is an increased incidence of neurological cancers in the region.^[3] The brain tumor program of Papua New Guinea has a level III out of five, due in part to Apuahe's work.^[3]