50,000 may be infected with HIV/AIDS

THE World Bank has estimated that there may be 50,000 people in PNG infected with HIV/AIDS.
Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane revealed this while officiating the sixth annual graduation of the Goroka Grammar School last Friday.
Upon releasing this figure, he applauded the school for devising a policy document on HIV/ AIDS, which is an important statement that demonstrate its concern for the health of the students.
He said it was important students understand the danger facing them outside of the school’s protected environment, adding it is important they try to defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS.
Sir Paulias said since the first case was identified in PNG in 1987, the disease had spread rapidly throughout the country.
“HIV/AIDS does not respect national or provincial borders, Eastern Highlands province is like any provinces and statistics show hundreds are infected,” he said.
He also said students who graduated today, should try to put into practice what they have been taught regarding preventing the spread of this terrible disease.
Sir Paulias also congratulated and thanked the school for naming its new school library after him.
“This is a surprise to me because I never expected anything important like this, I thank the leaders of the school for your kind thoughts,” he said.
He placed special emphasis on the importance of books, saying that he has written 44 books, and donated 24 of them to the school.
“I am a great believer of libraries as a means of enriching and empowering lives, books not only have the power to entertain but also to power to educate and enrich,” Sir Paulias said.
We are told that nowadays that we are part of a global community and books can give insight and understanding into this global community,”