Tuesday 9 July 2024
Twenty-Seven medical staff from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) Units, were certified as HIV/Aids counsellors and prescribers on Friday 5 July 2024, following a two-week intensive course sponsored by the US Government in Port Moresby.
Deputy Secretary of Department of Defence Deputy, Simon Tunapai, highlighted the importance of training soldiers and their families due to high-risk military work and the presence of HIV in the country.
“Soldiers get deployed to areas where the virus is present, so they expose themselves and their families to the risk. With the training now received, the Department of Defence and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force will be able to provide effective pre-deployment counselling and post-deployment counselling and treatment relating to HIV/Aids,” Tunapai said.
He said the training, a first-of-its-kind initiative for the Defence Organisation (Department of Defence and PNGDF), was a significant capability enhancement.
Dr. Elsie Apuahe, Senior Medical Officer STI/HIV at the National Department of Health, stated that the training covered all essential aspects of HIV/Aids awareness, counseling, and treatment.
Dr. Elsie Apuahe said the training covered topics in: HIV/Aids epidemiology; HIV pathogenesis; opportunistic diseases and how to manage them; HIV/Aids Twenty-seven Defence health workers qualified as HIV/Aids counselors and prescribers treatment in adults, youth and children; prevention; HIV test and diagnosis; and STIs.
PNGDF Director of Medical Services, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Peter Kaminiel, expressed gratitude to National Department of Health experts for training and pledged to prioritize the health of PNGDF units.