Australia to extend help

AUSTRALIA will extend its help to Papua New Guinea to fight against the threat of HIV/AIDS.

Australia’s special representative for HIV/AIDS, Annmaree O’Keefe told the National AIDS Summit the next focus of Australia’s support for PNG’s AIDS fight will be on strengthening leadership and co-ordination at various levels of the society, mobilising communities on HIV prevention, promoting gender equality and reducing sexual violence, expanding the health sector response and building the evidence base for action.

Ms O’Keefe said the next five years will be a crucial period for developing effective prevention interventions to slow the expansion of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and AusAID will focus on initiatives such as improving access to treatment services for sexually transmitted infections.

She said the presence of sexually transmitted infections greatly increases the risk of HIV infection and to improve the rates of condom availability and use. Under NHASP, Ms O’Keefe said much has been achieved. These include:

60 voluntary counselling and testing centres across PNG;

enactment of the HIV/AIDS Management and Prevention Act (HAMP) giving a legal framework to protect the rights and dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS;

MORE than 400 health workers throughout PNG trained in STI/HIV management;

200 counsellors have been trained to support increased testing for HIV and to support people living with HIV/AIDS; and 640 health centres have improved laboratory testing among others.