The PNG Christian Leaders Alliance on HIV held a workshop on Thursday 21st December to discuss how they can spread the message of HIV/AIDS prevention among church members and the community.
The leaders learnt of the alarming increase in the transmission rate in the last couple of years post-Covid-19.
Cardinal Ribat said when we emphasize more on the use of condoms people become ignorant of the risks if protection fails.
The Cardinal’s personal opinion was that the use of condoms as protection must not be encouraged too much, because it may prevent people from developing a strong discipline in their sexual activities with multiple partners.
National AIDs Council Secretariat Director, Valentine Tangoh said PNG is among countries with increased rates of HIV; more than 70%.
“In 2013 it was 0.65%. In 2022 it was 0.9%. Today as our speakers say, it has doubled to 1% and over. So this is now called a generalized epidemic or mixed epidemic,” Tangoh said.
The church leaders were asked to encourage church members living with the virus, to continue taking their Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART). Guaranteed, this will prolong their lives, and minimize the risk of the virus being passed on to a sexual partner. For expectant mothers who are HIV positive, the ART lessens the risk of the virus being transmitted to the baby during childbirth or breastfeeding.