Students with HIV on rise in Papua New Guinea

THE Western Highlands provincial committee on HIV/AIDS is concerned about the growing number of students infected with the disease.

The provincial AIDS council issued a strong warning to students to be mindful of their movement and refrain from going to parties and social activities after completing their national examinations.

Apollos Yimbak, the technical officer with the provincial AIDS committee, said many Grade 10 students in the province, who completed their national examination last Friday, organised parties and ended up getting drunk.

He said such social activities contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people in the province and resulted in unwanted pregnancies.

“Your parents and guardians invested more money and resources in you students to become somebody useful and look after them when they grow old,” he said.

Yimbak declined to disclose names of schools the students attended.

He said their education did not finish at Grade 10 as they had a long way to go in pursing their career.

“Many students aged between 15 and 25 are now living with the virus,” he said.

“We at the provincial AIDS committee do not want other students to fall into the same trap.”

He appealed to students not to have sex with people willing to pay them money or buy them expensive things.

Yimbak said it was hard to tell people living with the virus. 

“The best option is to refrain from having sex at an early stage, but wait until they complete their education, find a job and get married.”

He urged Grade 10 students to stay at home with their parents and help them.

“When you go around with your peer group, they will force you into all sorts of things and eventually will spoil your life, which you will regret later,” he said.

The National