University AIDS claim

AS many as 360 students at the University of Papua New Guinea could be infected with HIV, it was revealed during the university’s 51st graduation.

Departing vice-chancellor Prof Les Eastcott, in a speech he delivered in the first half of the graduation, also spoke about the responsibilities a graduate in contributing to the country’s social welfare, including the looming problem of HIV/AIDS.

“I have, in the past, spoken to graduating classes where graduates have gone into the wider world and, within two years, died.
“I am in no doubt that in the university at the moment, much more than 12% are carrying the virus,” Prof Eastcott said.
With a population of over 3,000 full-time students, that puts the figure around 360 students infected.

He warned the graduates that AIDS was not a disease that someone else gets.
“You could get it the next time you have unprotected sex, use someone else’s needle or somebody’s razor.”

He said although organisations like the National AIDS Council and the Department of Health put the infection in PNG at 1% of the population, in reality it could be as high as 12% (more than 600,000).
Prof Eastcott said as the disease spreads in the workplace, the consequences to the economy was obvious.

The former vice-chancellor also called for the talents of women not to be wasted in PNG.
He said women have been among the star students over the years, and they deserve a rightful place in determining how the country is run, managed and developed.
He said without their involvement, the development of the country would be substantially delayed, and urged that this resource be tapped more effectively, even at the risk of offending arrogant and domineering males of the world.