Joining forces in PNG

Papua New Guinea's reproductive health, population and development challenges are among the highest in the Pacific. FPAID has for some time wanted to contribute to work being done to meet these challenges, and now has the chance with a new project being implemented in 2007.

Called the PNG-Australia Sexual Health Improvement Programme, the project is large scale. Funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) for the next five years, a group of implementing agencies will join forces to work towards the crucial goal of reducing the rate of increase of HIV prevalence.

The challenge is immense - around 120,000 of PNG's 5.9 million men, women and children are estimated to be infected with HIV. The project's approach is to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by reducing the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the rationale being that the presence of STIs has been clinically linked to an individual's chance of contracting HIV.

The project will work towards its goal through the provision of integrated sexual health servcies, which is where FPAID is particularly excited to be offering its expertise.

FPAID manager Joanna Spratt explains that reducing STI prevalence is best achieved through a broad sexual health approach.

Targeting men as partners in sexual and reproductive health will be a key component of the PNG-Australia Sexual Health Improvement Programme Photo credit: Steven Nowakowski/APA/FPAID

"STI management is an essential component of any HIV prevention programme. But in doing this, factors like sexual violence and gender, unplanned pregnancies, high rates on non-consensual sex and sexual violence, trauma in childbrith, and infertility as a result of undetected or untreated STIs must be considered."

Targeting men will be a particularly important component of the project.

"Women's low status is a major contributer to high rates of untreated STIs - many women think it's normal to have an unpleasant vaginal discharge. They might be too busy to get to a clinic; or there is no clinic nearby; or the clinic is staffed by a male nurse. Meanwhile, sexual violence spreads STIs and HIV. It's vital that men learn that women are equal human beings, and have the same rights as men."

The project consortium is being led by Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia, with the Canberra Sexual Health Service and FPAID as partners, and the PNG Faimly Health Association, Help Resources, and the PNG Provincial Department of Health as in-country partners.