Bulletin

Issue: September 2004

Global Health

Fighting HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea

La Trobe University's National Centre for Public Health Law is making a significant contribution to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Papua New Guinea. The Centre is also involved in developing legislative options to help deliver a range of other health services in PNG.

Inaugurated in November 2002, the National Centre for Public Health Law (NCPHL) has already completed one assignment on HIV/AIDS for the PNG Government through AusAID, the Australian Government's overseas aid program, and is engaged in another to improve the delivery of all health services.

A legal intern at the Centre, Ms Karen Fletcher, prepared a handbook on new HIV/AIDS laws with the support and assistance of Centre Director, Ms Genevieve Howse, who also developed and implemented a training program for those using the handbook.

As well as preparing the handbook which will be published later this year, Ms Howse and Ms Fletcher also conducted training sessions for people who will use it. Groups involved included the staff of the Ombudsman's Office, members of the Royal PNG Constabulary, defence force personnel and teachers.

Ms Fletcher spent three months in PNG and Ms Howse made two visits of one week each. Their involvement in PNG follows the passage of the HIV/AIDS Management and Prevention Act through the PNG parliament in August, 2003. The Act is designed to combat the epidemic which some commentators say will be as significant a problem in PNG in 10 years as it is in Africa today.

'It is a very progressive piece of legislation,' Ms Howse said. 'It forbids discrimination against, and vilification of, people with HIV/AIDS and is designed to protect the rights of both those who have the infection and those who don't.'

Nevertheless, it is still not socially or culturally acceptable to talk openly about HIV/AIDS and its transmission. Because of this, it is not possible to gauge accurately how many people have the infection.

Despite the fact that the Act is now law, Ms Howse and Ms Fletcher witnessed an incident which demonstrated the need for the Act and for promoting it among officials and others.

Police raided a licensed club in Port Moresby, arrested 80 people and humiliated them during a one hour march to a police station, making them inflate condoms as they passed through crowds. Later all men were released, but six girls under the age of 18 were charged with prostitution because they had condoms in their possession. The charges were later withdrawn, following legal advocacy for the women involved, sponsored by the National AIDS Council.

Ms Howse said she was concerned that religious and social attitudes could place serious impediments on the operation of the new Act.

'A sex worker going to a clinic for a HIV/AIDS test can be so humiliated by staff with personal prejudices that she often will not return for her results. The new Act makes such discrimination illegal - but it is necessary to change attitudes as well as laws,' she said.

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