Prioritise children’s medical need: Sir John

ACCESS to medical assistance by children and youths should remain a priority in the country, a church leader says.
Cardinal Sir John Ribat called for more investment in the health of the young generation during the PNG Christian Leaders Alliance on HIV/Aids (PNGCLAHA) order of service yesterday.
“For World Aids Day 2017 in PNG, we churches want to direct the attention of our churches, government and development partners that if we want a sustainable future we need to seriously focus on our children now,” Cardinal Ribat said.
“Christian leaders and members of PNG Christian Alliance on HIV/Aids are standing united to inform PNG to put our children and adolescents at the center of our health response in PNG.”
Cardinal Ribat, who is the chairman for PNGCLAHA said they held the service to show the churches’ commitment in supporting and commemorating the 2017 World Aids Day on Dec 1. He said that if the younger generation were educated then they would be able to avoid the spread of HIV/Aids.
The PNGCLAHA secretariat’s theme for World Aids Day is ‘Focusing on our children and adolescents’ right to prevention, testing, treatment, care and support.The World Aids Day global theme is ‘Rights to health’ while the PNG national theme is ‘Rights to health- justice for all’.
“Our children are our future, investing in our children’s health is critical for the future of our county,” he said.
“Parents, churches and the Government have to work more closely to create a future which is sustainable for PNG.”
He urged the churches, government and non-governmental organisations to educate people regarding HIV/Aids so that children and young people would be aware of the deadly disease. He also encouraged people to support those people living with HIV and Aids.