Church groups lead in fight against HIV/AIDS

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Source:

The National, Tuesday July 24th, 2012

FATIH-based organisations are leading the fight against HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea, a recent data collation workshop has heard.
Initiated by the Department of Health and the National AIDS Council, the workshop was for major HIV service organisations.
The workshop was a strategic approach by the department and council to compile a 2011 sexual­ly transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS surveillance report and to boost data consistency from major HIV service provi­ders such as Anglicare StopAIDS, Susu Mamas Inc, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Oil Search Health Foundation and Catholic HIV/AIDS Services Inc.
Catholic HIV/AIDS Services Inc saw 56,219 people counselled and tested for HIV through its sites at the end of 2011.
The CHAI 2011 annual report said there were 1,160 confirmed HIV positive cases with the majority of whom were between the age group of 15 and 49.
The Catholic church has more than 100 VCCT sites through its 19 dioces­es across the country.