WHP has achieved a lot in HIV/AIDS fight,says chairman

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
WESTERN Highlands has achieved so much in its fight against HIV/AIDS.
Chairman of the provincial AIDS council Rev James Koi told a big crowd during the World AIDS Day celebration in Mt Hagen that the reaction from the people indicated that the awareness was reaching them.
Koi said many people were starting to come out for voluntarily testing and counselling unlike in the past.   
He said people living with the HIV/AIDS were forming their own group and taking the lead in the fight.
Koi said many people were coming forward for voluntarily testing and the fight against HIV was getting good support from the churches, NGOs, and the provincial government.
He said even though Western Highlands had the highest infection rate in the country, he was happy with the effort to contain its spread.
Koi said they were bringing the fight into the districts by setting up voluntarily testing and counselling centres where the bulk of the people living in the rural areas could have access to the services.
WHP administrator Malcolm Culligan said the administration would continue to assist them in their fight to make the province a healthy province.
Culligan urged people to support those who were living with the virus and not discriminate against them.