HIV-AIDS at exploding point

Prof Feachem warns crisis similar to what South Africa experienced 10 years ago.
By FIONA HAREPA

THE HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached exploding point in Papua New Guinea, Global Fund executive director Prof Richard Feachem warned.

Speaking at the official launch of the Global Fund at Parliament house on Monday night, Prof Feachem said PNG was experiencing what Africa went through a decade ago.

“With a prevalence rate of 1-2%, PNG is at the exploding point similar to what Africa experienced 10 years ago,” Prof Feachem said.

Prof Feachem said the Global Fund was created less than four years ago and was instrumental in counter-attacking HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) throughout the globe.

“No country has ever regretted doing too much or over-reacting to HIV/AIDS,” Prof Feachem said.
He said if PNG does not fight the war, a catastrophe will happen and overburden the health care system.

“Currently there are 350 programmes in 150 countries ... work is expanding and there’s a very encouraging impact on HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB which gives optimism to go forward,” Prof Feachem said.

He said it was important to invest in smaller countries like PNG.

“PNG won US$52 million (K166.6 million) from the Global Fund in a very highly competitive application process,” Prof Feachem said.

He said two grants given under the fund were to fight malaria and HIV/AIDS.

“Distribution of mosquito nets are continuing and Global Fund is glad to finance the malaria programme which is preventable and treatable,” Prof Feachem said.

He added that providing assistance to programmes was easy but the implementation (of the programmes) is the hard part.

Meanwhile, Lands Minister, Dr Puka Temu, has called on all development agencies to work together in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

With about 60,000 people infected in the country, HIV/AIDS has now become a generalised epidemic from what was thought of then as a health issue, he said.

“Papua New Guinea alone cannot win this fight against HIV/AIDS and needs strong support from all stakeholders,” Dr Temu said at the launch.

He said there was a need to “personalise” the epidemic.

He added the high incidences and prevalence rates were contributing to the increase of HIV/AIDS cases.

“The government is in full support of the programmes and will demonstrate this by increasing funding in budget,” Dr Temu said.