Health Department to manage HIV funds

Following the handing down of the budget this week, the National Aids Council Secretariat (NACS) has only been allocated K8 million for salaries and administration, however the funding for HIV Prevention and other activities is now under the National Department of Health.
Acting Director for the National Aids Council Secretariat Mr Peter Bire said NACS is now merging with NDOH .

“It does not really matter where the money is parked, as long as the Health Department includes us as partners, because the allocated funds are specifically for HIV prevention and even though the money has not been given to us, I hope we can work together with Health Department to spend that money on activities concerning HIV Prevention”

Mr Bire said the NACS has already set its key priority areas for 2017 and he hopes that NACS can have access to the HIV Prevention funds through the Department of Health.
“We will be focusing on areas which we failed to look into this year and one of these areas includes awareness and prevention in rural areas where the bulk of the population is”
Meanwhile, plans are underway for the World AIDS Day celebrations which will take place on the 1st of December with the theme “Hands up #HIV Prevention-Count me in”.

The Budget will also affect the annual celebrations for World AIDS Day and the National AIDS Council Secretariat is working together with donor partners and media houses to disseminate public information on prevention and for sponsorship. PNGFM/PNG Today