"After battling illness for years, Nancy Karipa tested positive for HIV in 1999. She had just given birth to her first child. It was a crossroads moment for me, with the fear of denial, but I chose action, Karipa, who is now in her 50s, said at an Aids awareness event in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby in December. She and the baby received treatment, and her child remains healthy."
"New infections have doubled since 2010 and it is estimated that only 59% of people living with the virus know they are HIV positive. The rise of infections in women and children is particularly alarming, UNAids says. The transmission of [the virus from] mother to child is very high in Papua New Guinea, one of the highest globally, says Manoela Manova, UNAids country director for PNG."
"Changes to funding for HIV support and prevention have hit PNG hard. The suspension of US foreign aid by the Trump administration this year has affected hundreds of clinics. Sharp global reductions in funding for UNAids is also worrying health providers, and calls for the PNG government to do more are growing. Manova says HIV awareness has declined over time and now, it's like the feeling that the epidemic does not exist. That's the perception in both the public and in the political class."
Nancy Karipa tested positive for HIV in 1999 after years of illness and, following treatment for her and her newborn, her child remains healthy. Stigma around HIV is high in Papua New Guinea, inhibiting people from speaking out. PNG declared HIV a national crisis amid rising infections. UNAids reports the epidemic in PNG is among the fastest growing in the Asia-Pacific, with new infections doubling since 2010 and only 59% aware of their status. Infections are rising among women and children, and mother-to-child transmission rates are among the highest globally. Funding cuts and reduced awareness have weakened testing and services.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]