HIV INFECTION DROPPING IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

This is a complex issue across the world. Just because the rate of infection is dropping, there are still millions of people being infected. There is no time for complacency.

There have to be several reasons for a drop in HIV infection. After over a decade of the pandemic in Papua New Guinea, it would be hoped that the danger is getting through. People are starting to realize the danger.

Most people would know of others who have suffered and died from AIDS. For those not on antiretroviral drugs, there is a horrible death to be faced, with dementia, skeleton like body, personality change and trouble for family.

There are more people using condoms, particularly those in high risk sex. They understand that there is protection from infection. Let us hope that there is more awareness of the need for medical circumcision, carried out by a doctor not a person in the village using a razor blade.

There would be people on ARV drugs who have returned to promiscuous sex in the belief that they and partner are protected by the ARV drug that kills the virus in the blood. There is much room for error in this approach.

Let us hope that the message has become widespread that there can be ARV support for women who have been raped. They need to be given ARV treatment within 12 hours of infection.

We hope that fewer children are born HIV positive or infected by HIV in the breast milk. A mother has to be HIV tested soon after becoming pregnant with ARV treatment starting within weeks at the advice of the doctor.

The mother continues treatment for as long as she breast feeds and then for the rest of her life. Before ARV was available to the community, it was a matter of hit and miss as to whether or not the baby would be infected.

The old story of only breast milk given for three months and no water or food, is now out-of-date for women able to obtain ARV drugs.

We must not underestimate the impact of schools of the Personal Development courses that focus on personal growth, sexuality, HIV infection, role of family, family values, nutrition, health and hygiene.

WORK PROGRAM FOR GRADE 10

It will be that many hundreds of thousands of school children will go through this program as an assessable subject. Such programs are supported by the Evangelical Brotherhood Church and their youth program “No apologies”.

There will always be controversy as to whether or not wide distribution of condoms is promoting promiscuous sex. In the context of many other factors, we hope that there is a balancing effect with focus on values and the importance of marriage and family.

There is no room for complacency. The rate of infection has been said to have dropped. It could well rise again. It will do so as soon as people lose their fear and go back to high risk sexual activity.

Let us hope that AIDS Holistics has helped by spear-heading the Positive Living message across the nation.