The HIV Epidemic
Here’s a little bit of information about the HIV epidemic in PNG and UTB’s response to it:
Response to the HIV epidemic in the Enga Province has been rather slow. When I got here in 2006, I took a trip to the Enga Provincial AIDS Committee. I, too, wanted to know what was going on in response to HIV/AIDS…unfortunately the PAC coordinator wasn’t able to tell me too much because there wasn’t too much going on. United to Be was doing work every once in awhile—nothing too coordinated because Anton, another mission worker in PNG, had too much on his plate…between the airstrip and confronting HIV/AIDS in the Enga Province. Hence the reason I came to PNG—to be the hands of Christ in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in PNG. It was difficult earning the respect of UTB members, they were use to Anton—he’s male, he grew up here, knew the language, customs, etc. However, after many disagreements and hard work and by the grace of God, they began to warm to me and that’s when UTB’s work began to rocket off. I’ll tell you more about UTB and their work after I explain a bit more about the epidemic in PNG.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in PNG reflects that of Africa. It is not yet to the extremes of places like South Africa or Botswana where 1 in 3 people are infected and millions have died, but if people are not educated or tested or encouraged to stay HIV negative—that’s exactly where it will be in 10 years, or less. Already an estimated 2% of the population is infected with HIV/AIDS (roughly 100,000 people), if the trend continues, by 2012 those estimates will increase to 500,000 infected with thousands of children losing mothers and fathers to HIV/AIDS. These are estimated numbers because of the lack of testing and counseling within PNG. Nyaimanya VCT Klinik at Mambisanda Hospital reports about a 3.5% infection rate and the Nyaimanya Mobile Clinic reports that 10% of the people tested for HIV are positive. However, as people flood in from areas like Kandep and Porgera to be tested, those rates are going to be higher. Not only is testing and counseling unavailable, but the stigma that is attached to being tested and to having HIV/AIDS also prevents people from being tested.
The reason that I say the epidemic is so similar to Africa is because of the cultural reasons for the rapid spread of the disease. There is what they call the “Highway Driver”…the driver, big shot, bigman, that drives from Porgera to Hagen to Lae to Madang and back again—and along all the stops has a woman with whom he sleeps. There is fear and stigma of HIV/AIDS due to misinformation and lack of education of the disease, the culture of shame regarding topics of sex, sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. There is a high incidence of polygamy in the highlands and a general disregard and disrespect for the true meaning of marriage. There is also promiscuity in schools because no one has taken the time to discuss decisions that need to be made regarding sex and marriage with the students. Kids are not educated and therefore do not have the power or opportunity to make wise decisions about sexual relationships in a world with HIV/AIDS. Some other social problems that impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic are gender inequality, bride price customs, domestic abuse, lack of resources for women, etc. However, the epidemic in PNG is not without hope—it’s still early enough that people can change their behaviours and change the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in PNG. This is where UTB and I come into play.
To learn more about UTB’s response to HIV in the Enga Province, click on the United to Be page.
