World Aids Day

When commemorating the World AIDS Day on December 1^st 2023 in Kwikila, the HIV/AIDS awareness team spoke to the communities about the importance and gravity of the disease. They were urged to come forward and be tested.

District HIV/AIDS coordinator, Peter Pahu told the gathering at Kwikila that since 2016 there has been an increase in people testing positive for HIV/AIDS.

He said according to statistics in Rigo, 2016 the district recorded only eight positive cases but as the years went by numbers have increased. In 2023, there were 212 people tested positive.

Acting Nursing Unit manager Sr. Alida Sagem when leading the STI and HIV clinic in an awareness in Madang town said for 2023, about 97 positive cases, which she said on average, three to five positive cases are picked up every day, but could be many out there living with the virus.

“Health officials are concerned that whilst the figures are high nationwide, it may be even higher as not everyone does testing and we may have more HIV/AIDS figures which may yet to be identified.

This monitoring device was launched by Key Population Advocacy Consortium (KP Consortium), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in close collaboration with the Government of Papua New Guinea.
 
“PNG has made and continues to make great strides to address HIV/AIDS, and the U.S. government will continue to stand with the government and people of PNG,” said U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu Erin E. McKee. 

“In adopting the Sustainable Development Goals, the international community committed to ending AIDS by 2030,” says the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

“This will only be achieved by ensuring everyone’s right to health. This right is jeopardised when people face stigma and discrimination, and when they lack information, services and agency.

“Stigma and discrimination, which remain concretely present in communities all over the world, play a particularly incendiary role in continuing HIV transmission.

Chairman of the National AIDS Council, John Ipidari, said insufficient funding for the secretariat in the last 3 to 4 years hindered awareness and education activities.

However, the increase in cases prompted the government and donor agencies to respond accordingly.

He said the epidemic attacks everyone, irrespective of age and race.

Ipidari further pointed out that socialising responsibly is the first step to protecting yourself from the epidemic.

Unlike all other years, this year's commemoration activities are running the whole day.

Live bands, raffle draws and information booths are all part of the program.

The National AIDS Council Secretariat says interactive awareness is a key component in driving the message of HIV/AIDS.

This year's theme is ‘Right to Health – Justice For All’.

World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease.

Throughout Madang, banners of the red ribbon signifying the fight against HIV/AIDS have been put up.

Even companies like the Trukai Industries Madang depo have joined in, putting up a banner since Wednesday.

Today, all staff came to work with a red ribbon.

"This is an annual thing for Trukai. We support a lot of health programs, and World AIDS Day is one of them,” said Jillanne Valu, regional sales manager - Momase.

“It's sad to see a lot of people dying from this disease that can be avoided."

That was the limit of her formal sex education. For millions of young Chinese people, it's more than they ever got.

As China marks World AIDS Day Thursday, the effects of that missing knowledge is more evident than ever, with growing numbers of HIV infections and staggeringly high abortion rates.

No protection

In 2015, there were 115,000 new HIV infections in China, according to China's National Center for STD/AIDS Prevention and Control. Of those, 17,000, or 14.7%, were in the 15-24 age group.

Kevin Miles, the Head of Grants for the Oil Search Foundation and a HIV expert with 25 years’ experience in the field of HIV, shared his personal and intimate account of caring for patients and loved ones with HIV in the early days of the epidemic.

“If we are to unite in the response to HIV, we have to share our stories, acknowledge our differences and decide how we will respond as individuals and as a community,” he said.

He recounted the enormous change he witnessed when anti-retroviral treatment became available and HIV was suddenly no longer a death sentence.

Population increase at care centers worries authorities

An increase in population at the Manam Islanders care centres in Madang means the demand on food and water will be high.

http://www.looppng.com/content/population-increase-care-centers-worries-authorities

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