9 districts to drive HIV/AIDS awareness

By PISAI GUMAR
The nine districts in Morobe are gearing up for a go-rural drive in response to a new strategic approach to educate the rural communities about HIV/AIDS.
Realising the spread of HIV/AIDS in rural areas, the national AIDS secretariat initiated the theme – Let’s zero HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea, protect yourself, protect family – with its go-rural drive.
The Morobe provincial AIDS council’s response team includes coordinator Joanne Ganoka, technical officer Richard Gura and monitoring and evaluation officer Nige Dirua.
Ganoka said the national secretariat had allocated K50,000 to the Morobe AIDS committee. Lae city received K10,000 and the rest of the districts received K5,000 each.
She said the combined celebration planned for Lae city was changed because of the recent violence there. Events would be organised in each of the seven clinics around the city.
“The way forward for the MPAC is to strengthen and empower stakeholders and collaborate with the public and private sectors to build resource capacities to ensure rural health centres and aid posts, church denominations, non-government, faith and community-based organisations effectively respond in HIV/AIDS prevention awareness,” Ganoka said.
“Our aim is to ensure the HIV/AIDS committees in all nine districts are fully equipped and functional to enforce the go rural drive 2011-15 approach.”
In Markham district, a go-rural drive billboard will be launched in front of Zero Tavern, one of the hot spots along the highway on Nov 30.
The major celebration will be held at Mutzing station the next day.
She said the MPAC had created a theatre desk for performing arts troupes in the province for consultations, meetings and seeking information.