Delivery delay due to lack of offices

National

THE absence of the National Aids Committee offices in provinces is a setback to the delivery of more than five million condoms for men and 500,000 for women.
But the council continue to distribute whatever they have left, says the National Aids Council secretariat director Dr Nick Dala.
Dala said the supply of condoms was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund in November and stored at the medical store at Badili in Port Moresby.
He said condoms, lubricants and drugs, as well as information, counselling, testing and other clinical services were sexually transmitted diseases commodities the council supported.
“The provincial aids council committees in the provinces used to distribute condoms as part of their ongoing prevention programmes in partnership with other stakeholders who were implementing HIV programmes in the provinces,” Dala said.
“As soon as the constraints are sorted out, the condoms would be distributed to provinces through medical stores.”
He delivered the condoms to the Id Inad clinic to ensure they were readily available for people who want to use them.
Meanwhile, Madang has seen an increase in the number of teenagers with HIV and that has become a great concern for the council.