Leading to Zero Discrimination Day on 01st March, the UNAIDS has called on PNG’s mainstream media to help publicize stories of HIV/AIDs epidemic in the country.
UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions, Eamonn Murphy Murphy was on a visit to PNG to help raise awareness, mobilize action, and advocate for urgent measures to address the growing HIV crisis in the country.
Murphy revealed alarming rates of HIV increases in the Asia Pacific Region. The estimated new infections in PNG in 2022 the 6500, which is 18 new infections per day. Of the 72000 PLWH, 43816 are on ART and 1100 AIDS-related deaths.
“We need to get the message out, very loud and very clear that HIV is far from over in Papua New Guinea. The epidemic is growing at alarming rates and that’s a serious concern for all of us!” Murphy exclaimed.
He said PNG is one of the three countries in the Asia-Pacific region that has an alarmingly high rate of HIV.
“When I look at Asia and across the Pacific, I have three countries that stand out in particular, in this part of the region; that’s Philippines, PNG and now sadly, Fiji with rising epidemics, of significance of course. In a country like Papua New Guinea, how does that translate?
PNG has had a 131 percent increase in the last 10 years, since 2010, last 14 years. So we have 72,000 people living with HIV here in PNG. We don’t have the level of treatment required nor systems to support taking that through,” he added.
Murphy acknowledged the government’s response in changing the treatment regime of the type of drugs to reduce the risk of resistance to treatment.
He also commended the government for other programmes. However, despite all these efforts, he said the rates are still increasing each year and not going down, though globally there is a major decline in HIV.
“So with 18 new infections a day here in PNG, you have a serious problem. And that needs a combination response; it’s not just the health ministry that needs to respond to this, we need all levels of society, all levels of government engaged in it.
“We need the Ministry of Finance to make sure the resources required by health and the other partners are there in place, in the right times and the right locations,” said Mr. Murphy.
Murphy emphasized the need to scale up HIV testing including self-testing and community-based testing, especially among key populations and young people. Knowing one’s status is crucial for early intervention and prevention.