KAGUA-ERAVE MP James Lagea is adamant about tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in his electorate.
He has vouched to use the latest state-of-the-art rapid test kit to fight this war in Kagua-Erave in the Southern Highlands province.
He announced this at a meeting with Gideon Philip, representative of distributor North West Medical & Scientific Ltd in Port Moresby.
The company would supply its latest rapid test kit, the SD Bio Line HIV-1/2 3.0 to Kagua-Erave.
This kit uses the latest in cloning technology and is highly sensitive and specific, according to the distributor.
It has a pack specific for Point of Care Testing, instant voluntary counselling and testing, front-line medicine, clinics and aid-posts.
The kit has a storage temperature variation between 11-30 degrees Celsius, the pouch containing the test cassette also contains silica gel for absorbing moisture, making it most suitable for Papua New Guinea.
Mr Lagea also stressed that the majority of the rural population were still ignorant about the effects of the killer disease and a massive HIV/AIDS awareness needs to be undertaken.
He also said that as soon as two new ambulances and a support vehicle became available in his electorate, other projects would follow.
Mr Lagea intends to reintroduce the once successful Mobile Health Services to fully complement the rural health services, vowing to incorporate K1 million from his supplementary budget allocation of K4 million, into rural health so that basic health services could be delivered directly to the people in the most remote parts of the district.