Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

110628_MR_Successful HIV/AIDS Program extended in PNG

For immediate release

28 June 2011

SUCCESSFUL HIV/AIDS PROGRAM EXTENDED IN PNG

Australia will extend its partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Papua New Guinea for at least another two years to further prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their unborn babies.

Under the partnership, Australia will provide PGK 26 million over the next two years. Australia’s Ambassador for HIV/AIDS Mr Murray Proctor made the announcement during a visit to Goroka to launch the initiative today.

Mr Proctor said the first phase of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which was funded by Australia between 2006 and 2010, achieved positive results.

“Prior to the first phase of CHAI, babies born to HIV positive mothers at Goroka Base Hospital were not tested for HIV before 18 months and many did not live to see their first birthday,” Mr Proctor said.

“They are now tested at six weeks and put onto medication if they need it, which has resulted in a dramatic reduction in deaths of babies born to HIV positive mothers - from 95 percent in 2007 down to 21 percent in 2010.

As well as saving the lives of HIV positive babies, CHAI is also reducing the numbers of babies born with HIV through providing mothers and new born with a short course of antiretroviral medicines which prevent transmission.

"Previously, seventy five per cent of HIV positive pregnant women in the Eastern Highlands Province would simply not seek help for HIV. Now almost 100 per cent are enrolling in the program which helps maintain the health of the whole family. Fathers and siblings are also encouraged to test for HIV and treatment is provided as needed.

"The bottom line is that HIV positive children, and their families, in the Eastern Highlands now have a much better chance at a normal, healthy life because of this initiative," Mr Proctor said.

Australia will provide PGK26 million for phase two, which will run for two years and support more than one million people in the Western and Southern Highlands Provinces, with the goal of vastly reducing the number of infants born with HIV.

Phase two will provide high-quality paediatric HIV care and treatment services for more than 700 infected children at five national treatment sites. Mr Proctor praised PNG’s National and Provincial health departments which had been working closely with AusAID on the development of this second phase of support through the Clinton Foundation.

By the end of next year, Australia will have invested over PGK430 million fighting HIV/AIDS in PNG since 2007.

Established in 2002 by President Clinton as the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, CHAI focuses on addressing the limited access to HIV/AIDS treatments faced by people in developing countries.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and President Bill Clinton signed a Memorandum of Agreement in 2007 so that the Clinton Foundation could support the Government of PNG to address paediatric AIDS and reduce the cost of antiretroviral medicines.