PNG offered HIV/AIDS drug supplies

AN Australian company will provide unlimited supplies of anti-fungal medicines to Papua New Guineans with HIV/AIDS virus.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare this week welcomed the offer from Australia’s leading pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Australia, to supply its anti-fungal drugs to PNG.

Sir Michael, who is visiting Australia, said PNG had been included in the Diflucan Partnership Programme, which will ensure unlimited and free supplies of the anti-fungal medication (Diflucan) to people living with AIDS-related infections.

“This assistance will complement the current effort by the government in addressing the HIV/AIDS in PNG.

“It is important for Pfizer Australia to continue to work together with the PNG Health Department and the National AIDS Council on this partnership programme,” Sir Michael said.

He also expressed hope that the programme will have a training component (capacity building) for healthcare workers dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue.

“My government has commenced on a strategy to control and reduce the growth rate of HIV/AIDS through an awareness campaign down at the village level.

“We are committing more resources, including allocating funds in the 2006 National Budget, through the National AIDS Council.

“This is an addition to assistance provided by development partnership such as the Global Fund, the Australian Government and China,” Sir Michael said.

He said to give more prominence to the fight against HIV/AIDS, NAC was transferred from the Department of Health to the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council.

Other bold steps the government has taken in this fight include:

• The appointment of a Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS, headed by Dr Banare Bun;
• The Government’s recognition of HIV/AIDS as development issue rather than a purely health issue;
• HIV/AIDS being a priority expenditure issue in PNG’s Medium Term Development Strategy (MTDS);
• A specific Act of Parliament recently passed to protect the interest of medical workers, HIV/AIDS patients’ rights, and the rights of other individuals associated with HIV/AIDS, including sex workers.
  Sir Michael has also appointed Dr Puka Temu, the former Secretary for Health and now a member of his Cabinet to assist him in giving the political leadership required to fight the spread of the epidemic.