Global AIDS - Papua New Guinea

PNG Govt blasted over its AIDS spending - Melbourne Herald Sun report April 21, 2004
"Grossly inadequate"

The head of Australia's aid agency in Papua New Guinea has criticised the PNG government's HIV/AIDS budget as "grossly inadequate".

AusAID PNG chief John Davidson told an HIV/AIDS seminar in the capital Port Moresby that in 10 years' time more than 1.5 million Papua New Guineans could be living with the virus if current rates of infection continued.

Davidson said Australia was committed to fighting the growing AIDS epidemic in PNG, but it could not be effective while the PNG government was not fully engaged.

"The government of PNG's budget allocation for HIV/AIDS is clearly grossly inadequate," Davidson said.

"Substantial increases in commitment by all levels of PNG government will be needed if a sustainable response to the epidemic is to be built."

Australia currently provides about $A12 million (K24 million) each year to support the PNG government's efforts to fight AIDS, as compared to the PNG government's 2004 budget allocation of K706,700 ($A350,000).

The World Bank has estimated there may be up to 50,000 people infected with HIV in PNG, making it one of the worst epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region.

The prevalence of the virus and the conditions in which it thrived had led to comparisons with Africa, where some countries had infection rates of about 30 per cent.

"If left unaddressed, rates of infection in PNG could reach these levels in 10 years' time," Davidson said.

"This would mean more than 1.5 million people in PNG living with the virus."

In an effort to overcome cultural constraints and start open dialogue about the disease, AusAID and the PNG National AIDS Council had embarked on a deliberately controversial national awareness campaign.

Slogans on billboards and on television commercials around the country such as "no ken kuap" (don't fuck) are creating public controversy which Davidson said was a step toward overcoming a reluctance to talk about the disease.

"While this is strong language it is not gratuitous," he said.

"The campaigns have been based on solid research and monitoring of impact."

Global AIDS - Papua New Guinea

PNG Govt blasted over its AIDS spending - Melbourne Herald Sun report April 21, 2004 "Grossly inadequate"

PNG Govt blasted over its AIDS spending - Melbourne Herald Sun report April 21, 2004
"Grossly inadequate"