Health concern

Letters

RECENTLY, The National published a letter from Prof Glen Mola, which should have Health Minister
Sir Puka Temu having nightmares.
The letter dealt with the complete lack of stock of syphilis and HIV-AIDS testing kits.
This is very serious.
All women receiving ante-natal care should be tested at least once, for both diseases.
More seriously, however, the professor wrote that 6 per cent of Highlanders, 4 per cent of NCD residents and about 1 per cent of the coastal population are currently testing positive for syphilis.
This is frightening.
He did not use the words “sexually active population”.
Therefore, the situation is far worse than those figures.
Frightening though they are, they severely understate the seriousness of the situation.
This is because while the population is around 8.5 million, the sexually-active population, at-risk population, is more like four million.
Those most at risk have the most promiscuous lifestyles.
This means that around 10 per cent of sexually-active Highlanders and NCD residents will test positive for the disease.
This indicates a total of around 300,000 people are infected.
This an epidemic.
In addition to the existing nightmares of diabetes, malaria and tuberculosis, Health authorities now need to add syphilis to their agenda.
If there are no tests, pregnant women – about 350, 000 are required annually.
This is bad.
Mass testing of the sexually-active population is urgently required.
This means millions of sets are required.
This should now be a priority.
The cause of the resurgence of syphilis, as a serious disease, has not been determined, but it has.
The situation in PNG seems to be worse than the situation in South Australia and the Northern Territory, but it is a significant problem there.
Syphilis is so serious, because it takes a very long period of time before it wreaks havoc on the affected body.
Because it is so highly contagious, just coming into contact with a syphilitic chancre will transmit the disease.
As Dr Mola pointed out, an accidental pinprick from an infected needle is all it takes to transmit the disease.
This is a public health STD crisis that will escalate rapidly if not seriously addressed medically and through a public education campaign.

R W Bolling