Villagers undergo HIV tests

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

THE productive partnership in agriculture project (PPAP) is taking the lead in HIV/AIDS awareness in Jiwaka.

The three-year programme (until 2015) is jointly funded by World Bank and the government.

The awareness was reportedly reaching the rural people where HIV/AIDS test kits and voluntarily testing at the sites were conducted.

The project in Jiwaka is managed by Kosem Ltd, a company engaged in the coffee industry under the leadership of John Munnull.

Munnull said yesterday people in the rural areas openly came out for  voluntarily blood testing and got their results after 15 minutes.

He said the HIV/AIDS awareness was part of the programme under the training component of PPAP which helped 1,089 registered coffee farmers in the province to increase their  production. They were educated about  HIV/AIDS.

Munnull said the HIV/AIDS and gender balance awareness was for the whole community  they visited.

He thanked nursing sisters from the Mingende Rural Hospital, in Chimbu’s Kerowagi district, namely Sr Rose Aba, Melinga Bomai, Regina Kas and Maria Danga.

Sr Aba, HIV/AIDS coordinator at the Mingende, said when they visited Nondugl district on Tuesday and carried out the awareness and called on people to come forward for voluntarily testing, 92 people showed up.

She said the results shown were all negative.

She said on Wednesday at Domil village, 166 people came forward to have their blood tested after the awareness.

“We found four people positive and encouraged them to go for a second confirmatory test at the  Maria Kwin Centre in Banz town.”

Sr Aba said they conducted awareness at the Kulbal village yesterday and today will be in Banz town and expected more people to come out for voluntarily testing.

“I am glad that many people in the rural areas feel free to come out for the testing and wants to know more about the HIV/AIDS,” she said.