AIDS council needs K18mil for awareness, says official

National

THE National AIDS Council needs K18 million to implement prevention programmes against the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), council acting deputy director Tony Lupiwa says.
“Since 2013, we have not received any funding from the Government to implement our programmes.
“We have been depending on development partners and non-government organisations.
“In the last six years, we have had zero funding from the Government’s development budget and without the money, we were unable to do anything significant to help check the spread of the virus.
“There is a lot that we want to do.
“We want to end mother-to-child transmissions during birth, promote and distribute condoms, conducting mass awareness campaigns for people to come forward and get themselves tested and many other preventative measures.
“People are dying because of lack of Government funding for the awareness programmes in the country.
“Many HIV infected people have been hospitalised,” he added.
“With the introduction of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and Delta variant spreading nationwide, people are dying and the public health situation will worsen into a nightmare if the HIV population grows.
“For us to prevent that from happening, we have to go out to the communities with prevention programmes, not just HIV but other diseases as well,” Lupiwa said.
He said the seriousness of the two viruses would combine into an even bigger problem in Papua New Guinea, if left unchecked.
“We are planning to work with major stakeholders and development partners to prevent HIV transmissions in PNG.
“We have a goal to end and HIV by 2030 but without funding, we are crippled and unable to move forward,” he added.