9 HIV infections daily in PNG

 News that matter in Papua New Guinea

9 HIV infections daily in PNG

PORT MORESBY: At least nine people are infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) daily in Papua New Guinea (PNG), National AIDS acting deputy director Tony Lupiwa says.

“The HIV virus is still a public health threat and it is spreading. If it is not checked, the PNG can face a nightmare with both HIV and Coronavirus (Covid-19),” he added.

In 2020, there were already 55,000 people livening with HIV/AIDS in PNG.

Details of the news break were published by The National:

‘9 HIV infections daily’

October 14, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By LORRAINE JIMAL and LULU MAGINDE
AT least nine people are infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) daily in Papua New Guinea, National Aids Council acting deputy director Tony Lupiwa says.
“While much attention is being focused on the Coronavirus (Covid-19), let us not forget that HIV is still a public health threat in PNG. And the threat is growing,” he added.
Lupiwa said community support was vital in helping to check the spread of HIV and “making prevention efforts count”.
He said, in a media conference, that the HIV factsheet revealed that the Highlands, National Capital District (NCD) and Lae registered the most number of infections.
“The public should not hesitate to go to a clinic and get tested and treatment is on the same day.
“The lack of funding from the Government has meant little to no prevention programmes and limited awareness.
“As funding has now been allocated directly to the District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP), the role of communities to help check the spread of HIV is vital.
“The council’s advocacy and social mobilisation manager Valentinie Tangoh and I must stress the importance of community ownership in the war against HIV.
“With limited budget received in 2020, we mobilised procuring and distribution of condoms nationwide.
“We are also aiming at eliminating mother-to-child transmissions by 2030.
“Development partners provide condoms that are just stored in warehouses because there is no funding to distribute them” he lamented.
Lupina said while there were different Government agencies and private sector companies that provided funding and logistical support, “these alone are not enough”.
“There should be more efforts, like a rare example of the handing over of boxes of condoms to Barrick employees, who were heading to Porgera, to help distribute amongst the communities via company chartered planes.
“Also, the promotion of male circumcision that offered 60 per cent protection from transmission.
“There is still, however, a significant lack of public awareness on the spread of HIV due to the secretariat’s budget constraints,” he added.

AIDS council needs K18mil for awareness, says official

October 14, 2021The NationalNational

THE National AIDS Council needs K18 million to implement prevention programmes against the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), council acting deputy director Tony Lupiwa says.
“Since 2013, we have not received any funding from the Government to implement our programmes.
“We have been depending on development partners and non-government organisations.
“In the last six years, we have had zero funding from the Government’s development budget and without the money, we were unable to do anything significant to help check the spread of the virus.
“There is a lot that we want to do.
“We want to end mother-to-child transmissions during birth, promote and distribute condoms, conducting mass awareness campaigns for people to come forward and get themselves tested and many other preventative measures.
“People are dying because of lack of Government funding for the awareness programmes in the country.
“Many HIV infected people have been hospitalised,” he added.
“With the introduction of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and Delta variant spreading nationwide, people are dying and the public health situation will worsen into a nightmare if the HIV population grows.
“For us to prevent that from happening, we have to go out to the communities with prevention programmes, not just HIV but other diseases as well,” Lupiwa said.
He said the seriousness of the two viruses would combine into an even bigger problem in Papua New Guinea, if left unchecked.
“We are planning to work with major stakeholders and development partners to prevent HIV transmissions in PNG.
“We have a goal to end and HIV by 2030 but without funding, we are crippled and unable to move forward,” he added.

Official: People living with HIV vulnerable

October 14, 2021The NationalNational

PEOPLE living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS) are vulnerable to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and must take their regular treatment, National AIDS Council acting deputy director Tony Lupiwa says.
When revealing the national statistics in a media conference yesterday, he said about 55,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS in 2020 in Papua New Guinea.
Of the total, 48,000 were aged between 15 and 49, 3,200 were minors up to 14.
About 3,400 new cases are recorded annually averaging at least nine infections daily.
Lupiwa said from the total, 34,018 were on Anti-Retro Viral (ART) treatment which made 62 per cent and 605 deaths recorded, but there could have been more deaths that went unrecorded.
“The numbers are increasing every year and people living with HIV/AIDS are the most vulnerable to the Covid-19 because their immune system are not effective to fight the Covid-19,” he said, urging people who might be at high risk of being positive to get tested.
“If you think that you may be at HIV risk, go to the clinic and get tested.
“And if you are found positive, you will be put on treatment the same day,” he added.
Lupiwa said ART stopped the replication of the virus in the blood, and if a person had been faithful to his or her doses, “they can live a normal life and die of old age”.
He said the Government had funded the ART drug through the Health Department to reduce to reduce the numbers deaths, unlike before the introduction of the drug.

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