HIV/AIDS cases high in ENB

National

THERE have been 154 diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases in East New Britain since June, Central Gazelle president Elizabeth Malori says.
She said there were other diagnosed cases since 2006 which had contributed to the development of ENB in the public and private sectors.
Malori said there had been 46 deaths relating to HIV/AIDS in the province.
“People still need to understand HIV/AIDS so they can manage themselves with care,” Malori said.
“Government agencies are still lacking in monitoring mechanisms and strategies.”
Malori said it was also important for the government to build capacity in terms of review mechanisms for reporting and empowerment purposes.
Malori said the number of cases differed in each district but urban drift was a common factor in all cases.
“Many rural local level governments in the province are yet to register cases because they lack the capacity to do so,” she said.
Malori said the government had taken responsibility of HIV/AIDS in the province since 2009.
It has been seven years of implementation since the establishment of the provincial AIDS council.
“Creating partnership with stakeholders in the last seven years had been successful.
“The government wants to see more community involvement in this fight against HIV/AIDS.
“Let us hold hands together and take the step forward as a community and fight HIV/AIDS
“We appreciate the partnership we have with the Catholic Church. We want to see other churches participate with us,” she said.