Papua New Guinea declares national HIV crisis as infections surge
New data reveals a doubling of new infections since 2010, with an estimated 30 people contracting the virus daily in 2024, totaling approximately 11,000 new cases last year alone.
This alarming trend highlights a deepening crisis, particularly impacting women, children, and young people.
A deeply concerning aspect of this resurgence is the high rate of mother-to-child transmission.
In 2024, around 2,700 infants were newly infected with HIV, equating to about seven babies per day. The primary reason for these preventable infections is that most mothers were unaware of their HIV status and, consequently, did not receive the crucial antiretroviral therapy (ART) that could have prevented transmission to their babies during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Read more:
This significant gap in maternal health services highlights the urgent need to boost antenatal care uptake and broaden HIV testing, counselling, and treatment services for all pregnant women across the nation.
"The rise in new HIV infections in PNG is deeply concerning. And as such, I am declaring this a National HIV Crisis," Health Minister Elias Kapavore said.
Kapavore further stressed the societal roots of the epidemic and his commitment to addressing them.
"HIV is a disease of inequality. We need to support and empower those most impacted. It is time for all of us to step-up.
"I personally commit to raising this issue with my fellow ministers and parliamentarians and ensuring the urgent allocation of resources to protect our people - especially the next generation of Papua New Guineans."
Department of Health acting secretary Ken Wai echoed Kapavore's call to action, emphasising the need for expanded access to vital services.
"We must scale-up access to HIV testing and treatment, particularly for groups most at risk."
He added that these critical initiatives need to be available at health facilities nationwide and will require robust community leadership and support.
The World Health Organisation PNG country representative Dr Sevil Huseynova highlighted the importance of robust health systems in the fight against HIV.
"We must strengthen our health systems to ensure universal access to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, especially for pregnant women and young people.
"This is a test of our collective commitment to health for all. WHO stands firmly with the Government of Papua New Guinea to scale up integrated, person-centered care that leaves no one behind."
UNAIDS PNG country director Manoela Manova strongly endorsed the statements from Kapavore and Wai, drawing attention to the pervasive issue of stigma.
"This is a shared public health crisis that demands shared responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in dismantling harmful myths, stigma, and discrimination associated with HIV," Manova said.
These attitudes undermine prevention, testing and treatment efforts, and hold us back from ending HIV as a public health threat in Papua New Guinea."
The United Nations says it will provide as much support as needed to the government to contain this crisis.
The declaration of a National HIV Crisis will trigger an emergency response plan, aiming to enhance cross-sector coordination and prioritize investments in HIV services at all levels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 18 August
Photo: Tonga Fisheries Ministry The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has received a payment of US$60 million for 2024, under its Economic Assistance Agreement with the US government. It is a part of a commitment made in a treaty signed by the Pacific nations and the US in 1988, to govern fishing in exclusive economic zones. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Pacific Islands Ambassadors and Representatives based in Washington to confirm the payment and reaffirm the US Government's ongoing support for the economic deal. Organisers say November's United Nations climate summit, COP30, will take place in the Amazon city of Belém as planned, despite concerns about affordable accommodation. Climate News reported the 11-member COP bureau, which advises the COP presidency, asked in late July whether steps had been taken to identify an alternative location for COP30 if the accommodation crunch does not improve. The presidency said there will be no alternate location. Seventy-two governments classified as 'least developed countries' and 'small island developing states' have been offered 15 individual rooms each priced at US$100-200 a night. All other governments will be offered ten rooms each for prices ranging from US$200 to $600 a night. These rooms "are not intended to accommodate" countries' leaders with other arrangements to be made for them and their entourages. The leaders' summit will be held before the main COP negotiations and accompanying side events start. Fiji's acting medical superintendent Dr. Kiran Gaikwad says there is a need for a dedicated drug rehabilitation centre, to stem the spread of infections and provide appropriate long-term care. He was speaking after a teenager was admitted to St Giles Psychiatric Hospital with HIV linked to drug use. Labasa Hospital's acting medical superintendent, Dr. Mikaele Mua said they are seeing a lot of HIV cases but there are likely more without symptoms. The government said it has committed funding for the construction and operation of a Child Wellbeing Centre, providing a safe space and support for vulnerable children. Guam's attorney general is seeking to ramp up his deportation plan. The Pacific Island Times reported Douglas Moylan saying 101 convicted aliens have been deported from Guam since 2023, with a dozen more in the system under pending process. In a letter to the assistant special agent in charge, Moylan proposed to have investigators at the Office of the Attorney General "sworn in as ICE agents", authorizing them to arrest those set for deportation. Moylan said he is seeking to collaborate with the federal agency "to effectively and efficiently deport as many criminal aliens as possible," saying repeat offenders often get released "only to reoffend and create more victims". Catholic bishops gathered in Paga Pago earlier this month for a week of prayer and reflection. Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) gave a speech at the gathering. He said the "very core" of CEPAC's vision is a "deep desire to be a Church that is authentically 'of the Pacific'". Vatican News reportedhe archbishop suggested a number of areas for the church in the region to focus on, including care for the oceans, synodality, formation for mission, social activism, and empowerment of women and young people. A New Zealand Defence Force has finished the a high explosive live fire training activity with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force. Gunners from the New Zealand Army's 16th Field Regiment led a mortar training course. Colonel Mike van Welie said the exercise included 110 personnel from both countries. The NZDF said NZ Army soldiers also gained valuable training, with the PNG Defence Force sharing their expertise in challenging close-combat jungle conditions.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Gaza Health System ‘Catastrophic' With Hospitals Overwhelmed And Medicines Running Out, WHO Warns
12 August 2025 Fewer than half of Gaza's hospitals and under 38 per cent of primary healthcare centres are partially functioning – or are doing so at minimal levels – said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for the West Bank and Gaza. Bed occupancy in major facilities is exceeding limits by large margins – Shifa Hospital is at 250 per cent capacity, Nasser at 180 per cent, Al-Rantisi at 210 per cent and Al-Ahli at over 300 per cent. Critical supplies running out 'The critical shortage in medications and consumables continue and have only exacerbated, with 52 per cent of the medicines and 68 per cent of consumables at zero stock,' Dr. Peeperkorn told journalists in Geneva, speaking from Jerusalem. 'Hospitals are particularly overwhelmed by injuries from food distribution areas, which are also driving persistent shortages of blood and plasma,' he added, noting that since 27 May, at least 1,655 people have been killed in those areas and more than 11,800 injured. The crisis has been exacerbated by displacement orders in Gaza City that now place WHO's own warehouse in an evacuation zone. Hospitals, primary care centres and ambulance facilities are also located inside or near these areas, threatening further disruption to services. Malnutrition worsening Hunger and malnutrition are worsening rapidly. Since the start of 2025, 148 people have died from malnutrition, including 49 children – 39 of them under five years old. Nearly 12,000 children under five were diagnosed with acute malnutrition in July, the highest monthly figure to date, with more than 2,500 suffering from the most severe form. New threat from meningitis Disease outbreaks are adding to the pressure. Suspected meningitis cases reached 452 between July and early August – the highest number since the escalation began. Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare post-infection disorder, has also surged, with 76 suspected cases since June. Both conditions are harder to treat due to 'zero stocks' of vital medicines, including intravenous immuneoglobulin and anti-inflammatories, Dr. Peeperkorn said. Access challenges Access for international medical teams and supplies remains a major obstacle. Dr. Peeperkorn said that international medics face entry denials, while key items such as ICU equipment, anaesthesia machines and cold chain supplies continue to be held back. Though WHO managed to bring in 80 trucks of medical supplies since June, he stressed that procedures are slow and unpredictable, with many shipments delayed or denied. 'We need multiple crossings into Gaza opened, procedures simplified, and access impediments lifted,' he said. 'We hear about more humanitarian supplies being allowed in – but it's not happening, or it's happening far too slowly.'
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Over 31 instances of polio in Papua New Guinea
Photo: The World Health Organisation In Papua New Guinea, more than 31 instances of polio have been detected since the disease re-emerged earlier this year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the numbers on Monday, as PNG launched a national immunisation campaign in Port Moresby. The WHO declared an outbreak in May after two children were confirmed to have the virus. Polio or poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that mainly affects children under five. It can also affect older age groups. Most people who have it have no symptoms, but it can lead to irreversible paralysis in about one in 200 infections, or one percent of cases. The virus is spread by person-to-person contact or the ingestion of contaminated virus from faeces. Because the virus multiplies in the gut of infected people, who then shed it in their stool for several weeks, it can spread through a community, particularly in areas with poor sanitation. The WHO said over 31 detections of the virus had been confirmed in Papua New Guinea through environmental and community surveillance since May. While no cases of paralysis had been reported, the risk of further transmission remained high due to low immunisation rates and poor access to children who lived in remote areas. The WHO also added that healthy children infected with the virus were not considered "polio cases" under its clinicial definition beause they did not have symptoms and exhibit paralysis. The two children confirmed to have the virus in May fell into this category, a spokesman said. The WHO said the vaccine campaign would focus on the mainland provinces, of which 17 had been identified as high-risk areas. Here, both the oral polio vaccine and the polio vaccine jab were due to be administered. The New Guinea Islands provinces had been deemed lower-risk, and one round of the polio vaccine injection had been planned. "This moment represents more than just a public health initiative - it is a bold step forward in our shared mission to secure the health and future of Papua New Guinea's youngest generation," WHO Papua New Guinea representative Dr Masahiro Zakoji said. Last year, UNICEF highlighted Papua New Guinea's low childhood immunisation coverage. It found only about 50 percent of children born each year received "essential life-saving vaccines", which included the oral polio vaccine. That left about 120,000 children unvaccinated each year, the agency said. It said to prevent outbreaks and reach herd immunity against polio, vaccine coverage should be at least 95 percent. The agency said that while the global prevalence of the disease had plummeted by more than 99 percent in the past 35 years, millions of children were still affected because they missed out on the vaccine. Most of these children (85 percent) were living in "fragile settings", UNICEF said. These included countries and communities where there was conflict, natural disasters and humanitarian crises. In 2000, Papua New Guinea had been declared polio-free, but 18 years later, an outbreak of vaccine-derived polio type 1 was declared. It resulted in 26 cases across nine provinces in 2018. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this strain is related to the weakened live polio virus used in oral polio vaccine. If allowed to circulate in populations which have low immunisation rates or are unimmunised "for long enough", or replicate in "an immunodeficient individual", the weakened virus can revert to a form that causes illness and paralysis, the CDC said. The WHO said the 2018 Papua New Guinea outbreak was brought under control through further rounds of vaccination, community engagement and better surveillance of the disease. Meanwhile, the current outbreak is related to vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2. In May, Papua New Guinea's health department said the strain was a "rare form of the virus that can emerge in under-immunised communities but is well understood and can be effectively controlled through vaccination". Correction/ Clarification: An earlier version of this story stated the WHO said there were over 31 cases of polio in Papua New Guinea. This is incorrect under the organisation's definition of poliomyellitis or polio, which states individuals are only confirmed cases if they exhbit polio symptoms - primarily accute flaccid paralysis (the sudden onset of muscle weakness or paralysis).
