City residents get free health checks

PORT Moresby residents will get one week of free HIV counselling and testing plus weight and blood pressure checks covering the National Capital District.
This has been made possible through FHI 360, a non-governmental organisation funded by USAID, in collaboration with the NCD provincial AIDS council.
The council is facilitating the week-long programme until Friday, as a lead-up event to the World AIDS Day celebrations on Dec 1.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop officially launched the programme.
He said it had resulted in the drop in prevalence HIV rate from 4% to below 1% between 2007 and 2011.
Parkop said he was committed to providing support to AIDS council to achieve NCD’s goal of  zero prevalence.
Parkop said one way to do that was to encourage more people to go for the free HIV tests and counselling.
 “More people must go for HIV/AIDS tests as knowing their status will encourage them to take precautions and will help leaders to
address the issue appropriately,” he said.
USAID acting director Daniel Miller said the US government had been a leader in funding the HIV/AIDS programmes for the past 30 years and was still committed today.
Miller thanked Parkop for his dedication and support, which had resulted in the drop in prevalence rate.
The tests will be provided at four clinics throughout the city. They are the Hope International-run clinics on Lawes Road and 9-Mile, the St John Gerehu District Hospital as well as the Poro Sapot Clinic at Boroko.