Madang sees 217 new HIV cases

By JAYNE SAFIHAO
THERE are 217 new HIV/AIDS cases in Madang.
Provincial AIDS Council managing and evaluation officer Sebulon Dimag revealed this last week, adding that this brought the total number of cases in the province to 547.
This sudden increase has provoked the council to seriously reconsider its approach on the issue and its awareness techniques.
The council has now come up with plans to compose awareness jingles.
The jingles will target
the younger generation
so they seriously start focusing on avoiding pre-marital sex.
It will target married couples by discouraging extra marital affairs.
“People need to be
more responsible.
“Our awareness during the campaign period will be to make people start thinking about safe sex and HIV/AIDS prevention,” Dimag said.
Council director Conrad Waduna said the office would be assigned officers
to take part in putting up HIV/AIDS care and prevention posters at campaign sites.
Given the situation in
Enga where HIV/AIDS cases increased dramatically during the 2007 election, Waduna fears that Madang
would end up in a similar situation
“The mobility of people could encourage the possible uncontrolled spread of the virus and they have to be reminded about this from time to time,” he said.