Adviser calls for control

NEW Ireland education division plans to work closely with churches, non-governmental organisations and concerned stakeholders to advocate on the behaviour of individuals in order to control HIV/AIDS.
Provincial education adviser Andrew Kaiap, a psychologist, said HIV/AIDS could be contained if behaviour was controlled.
“If we cut off those elements that encourage behaviours such as parties and alcohol and have heavier and tougher penalties, or even tougher laws then, we can control behaviour,” he said.
“Today our young generation is flooded with sex information through mobile phones, access to internet and DVDs. And because sex is a strong human drive, it easily affects our young people.”
He said the country had not done anything about the issue of illegal material coming in and that was easily influencing the minds of young people, blaming nightclubs as one of the causes.
He said in a recent case, a female student of TVET institution had let herself to be lured by an older man to drink alcohol with him, then they went to a nightclub and later had sexual intercourse resulting in her catching the virus. This was a clear example of why behaviour needs to be controlled.
“In New Ireland we are targeting behaviour because the virus is here to stay and the sooner we can have control over behaviour, we limit the virus.”
He said this was where they would heavily use the help of churches, NGOs and concerned stakeholders to help advocate on the issue.