Thousands to attend AIDS meet in Aust

 THE 20th International AIDS Conference gets underway in Melbourne, Australia, today.

Health Minister Michael Malabag (righ) and Health Secretary Pasoe Kase (below) are among more than 50 people that Oil Search have sponsored to attend the conference.

Participants at the conference, totalling more than 15,000 from all over the world, will hear the story of how oil and gas company Oil Search is partnering with the government, church-based organisations and other international agencies and NGOs to fight HIV/AIDS in the country.

The Oil Search health foundation’s work in combating HIV/AIDS has received commendation from international agencies involved in the same fight.

“The Oil Search health foundation, in partnership with the government, and civil society organisations, is providing impressive HIV-related services and using HIV as an entry point for broader health and development outcomes,’’ said Jan Beagle, the United Nations assistant secretary general and deputy executive director of UNAIDS.

Prof Sharon Lewin, the co-chair of this week’s international AIDS conference, said: “I truly believe that companies like Oil Search are showing the leadership we need from the private sector, and they should be applauded for the role they are playing in all our work to see the end of AIDS.’’

Beagle and Lewin recently toured the Hela to see the work done by the foundation.

Oil Search managing director Peter Botten said that participating in the conference allowed the company, through the foundation, to tell the world what they were doing to fight HIV/AIDS in PNG.