By VERONICA MANUK
THE rise in HIV infection in East New Britain is a grave concern for the provincial government and it has increased funding to fight HIV/AIDS.
In its 2008 budget, the provincial government has allocated K50,000, up 25% from last year’s allocation of K40,000.
It was reported recently that the number of infection recorded in the province was higher than those in other provinces in the region.
According to the Provincial AIDS Council secretariat, 166 people were confirmed to be living with the virus in the province as of Dec 31, 2006, and the growth rate was projected to be at 1.26%.
Statistics collected from the Provincial AIDS Council for the year ending Dec 31, 2007, showed that 88 people were tested positive in 2004, 125 in 2005 and 166 in 2006.
From a recent finding, where 200 pregnant mothers underwent voluntary blood testing, two were tested positive.
The ENB Governor Leo Dion said due to the increase, his Government considered HIV/AIDS as one of the strategic result areas apart from health, governance, economic development, education, social development, infrastructure and land mobilisation.
He said that the government had put more emphasis in supporting the Provincial AIDS Council with various activities like supporting number of training conducted by Provincial AIDS Council and the National AIDS Council.
Mr Dion said the outcome had been the training of 10 HIV/AIDS provincial trainers, the development of the four districts on HIV/AIDS strategic plans and the draft paper on the HIV/AIDS workplace policy for East New Britain provincial administration.