• PNGIMR 40th Anniversary a Success
• Introducing the EID project
• PNG SDP donates K20,000 to PNGIMR for its 40th Anniversary & Colloquium celebrations
• National Health policy to be put in place - Zibe
• Governor General Congratulates PNGIMR
• Medical and social scientists say PNG has highest rate of HIV/AIDS
• PNGIMR receives approx K8million research grant from AusAID
• HINARI training a success
• IMR donates gastroendoscope to Goroka Hospital
• PNG Medical Journal Assistant Editor attends meeting in Korea
• PNGIMR Madang Social club promotes community relations
• VBDRU Administration Managers change of office
• New Staff
• Taime congratulates 40th Anniversary celebrations organizing team

By Frank Rai

Papua New Guinea has the highest infection rate of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STI) cases in the Asia Pacific Region, medical and social scientists have said.

Their research has shown that the infection rates were most prevalent amongst sexually active males and females between the age of 15 and 30 years.

These shocking findings were revealed by Dr John Millan during a power point presentation at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research Colloquium held at the Adolf Sawari Auditorium to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Institute.

Dr Millan told both international and local participants attending the colloquium that the 2007 prevalence rates have shown that PNG had the highest infection rate in both HIV/AIDS and STI cases in the region. Dr Millan said the trend of the epidemic in PNG has been increasing at an alarming rate of 13% every year for the last two years since 2006. He said prevalence at rural and urban hospitals including VCT (voluntary counselling and testing) sites have shown that at the end of December 2007, 23 000 people were tested HIV positive in PNG.

Dr Millan also revealed that 94% of those infected were through heterosexual relationship while 6% were prenatal cases. He said statistics have shown that sexually active people between the age of 15 and 30 years were more infected than older people.

He added that amongst those infected, young females were more affected than the male population in both urban and rural communities. Dr Millan highlighted that the dramatic increase in HIV and STI figures was because of the rural villagers and communities visiting VCT sites.

“The increase is because the rural communities are where 85% of the population live and the trend of the epidemic has changed its course into the villages,” Dr Millan said.

He further added that all 89 districts in the country were infected with HIV/AIDS and STI, adding that the epidemic was also creeping into the rural population.

In his research, Dr Millan presented that more than 76 000 people were now infected with HIV/AIDS and by 2009, the infected number would increase to 127 000.

“The current urban prevalence rate is 3.4 % while the rural prevalence rate is 1.3% which means a 4.7% prevalence rate at the most,” Dr Millan said.

He said to address the current situation, an effective strategy targeting interventions should be developed and the National Surveillance Plan should be implemented with the National sero-survey.