Australia must lead on HIV, says UN

From the April 2004 issue of Positive Living • By Paul Kidd

Australia must lead the fight against HIV/AIDS in our region in the same way that it has responded to Pacific security issues, the executive director of UNAIDS, Peter Piot said during a visit to Sydney in March.

Pacific nations face a new wave of HIV infection, with Papua New Guinea in danger of “going the African way,” he said.

“The stage is set for an expanding and widespread HIV epidemic in the region due to a dramatic increase in sexually transmitted infections and risky sexual behaviour among young people aged 15 to 25,” Piot said, warning that such a development could have disastrous effects on economic and political stability.

In PNG and the neighbouring Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, HIV prevalence is increasing apace, despite the influence of churches promoting absence and an Australian aid program worth $60 million.

“PNG has everything that’s wrong,” Piot said. “Lots of migration within the country, family disruption within towns and villages, a lot of sexually transmitted infections and a sexual culture that makes HIV spread very rapidly.”

Piot praised the efforts of Australia’s government and non-government organisations in combating HIV, but said more could be done. “Australia’s expertise and experience could be more extensively used,” he said.

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This article was first published in April 2004 - more than four years ago.

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