"If you hide and feel ashamed of it, you will die quickly," he said, when addressing the international candlelight vigil held outside the Port Moresby General Hospital carpark.

Six-month-old baby Peter Momo Jnr and his parents were among about 200 people that attended this global event held in memory of people who had died from AIDS as well as those who are living with HIV.

Mr Mea is now among 50 people who have revealed their HIV status and become members of the Igat Hope Inc — an association of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) — which organised the event.

He said PLWHAs in PNG faced a lot of stigma and discrimination.

He urged everyone to change their attitudes towards PLWHAs because they were no different from others.

"If your loved one is diagnosed with HIV, look after him or her. If he dies bury him in a good coffin," he said. "Don't point fingers at each other because, you never know, it could be you - because anybody can get HIV/AIDS."

In her keynote address, Friends Foundation director Tessie Soi acknowledged PLWHAs who had played a significant role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including Joe Berem and Ruth Watti who have already died. Ms Watti died two months ago and was the longest surviving PLWHA, having lived for more than 16 years.

"Everyone knows that HIV/AIDS has no cure but we know they can live for a long time," she said. "I don't think of HIV/AIDS as a disease. It's only a virus which stays in the body and kills the immune system. Ruth Watti has proved to all of us that she could live for a long time without medicine."