Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

Speech 080520 Igat Hope

Candlelight Vigil by Igat Hope

Tuesday 20 May, Hideaway Hotel – Sogeri Room, Port Moresby

Speech by Acting High Commissioner to PNG, Ms Ann Harrap

Theme: Never Forget – Never Give Up

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very pleased to be here at this Candlelight Vigil to say a few words on behalf of the Australian Government. And I am very proud to be associated with Igat Hope – an inspiring organisation that gives voice to those in PNG living with HIV and AIDS.

An event of this kind plays a very important role in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

On a daily basis many of us here and many others around this country – whether they be from Government, NGOs, Church and community groups or other donor partners like Australia –get on with the business of fighting this insidious disease.

But sometimes it is very important to stop for a moment and think about the reason for our actions.

Yes, we want to ensure that people are educated properly about safe sex. Yes, we want to make sure that people have access to appropriate medical support.
And yes, we want to slow and ultimately stop the infection rate among the people of PNG.

But sometimes it’s important to look beyond all the strategising and planning and implementing and focus on the personal - to remember that this fight we are in together, is a fight about real people – people with hopes, dreams and expectations – people who need our help and understanding to deal with the realities of a terrible malady.

Let’s think about the person living in a remote community in the Highlands suffering under the stigma which so often comes with HIV and AIDS.

Let’s think of the person sitting in their village tonight or perhaps this person has moved out because he or she is no longer welcome. Let’s forget about the immediate health challenges let’s just take a moment to think about the loneliness and hopelessness that this person might be feeling.

And then let’s think about those who have ultimately lost this fight.

That’s my understanding what Candlelight Vigil is about – it’s an opportunity to remember people such as this and remind ourselves that we don’t fight this fight for the sake of advancing a policy – we fight this fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS because it has real impacts on real people.

At the end of 2007 it was estimated that around 60,000 Papua New Guineas were living with HIV and that over 3,700 children would be orphaned as a consequence of this. These are frightening facts.

Indicators related to HIV such as AIDS-related deaths and the number of people requiring treatment, are on the increase.


Projections suggest that the prevalence rate among the rural population has probably already overtaken the urban rate.

There is no short-term fix to this problem.

And while today I have asked you to focus on the people – the individuals - in the longer term, the problem of HIV and AIDS goes way beyond what it means for the individual and their immediate friends and family.

HIV and AIDS is a significant issue that, if unchecked, has the potential to undermine PNGs development in the longer term.

One of the areas I am very pleased to see Australia supporting is that of
mainstreaming the response in all our sectors and programs.

I hope this doesn’t sound like another bout of bureau-speak because the premise is very simple – let’s make HIV and AIDS a priority across all areas of development not just as a stand-alone program.

All sectors, institutions, and individuals need to think about how they could be contributing to the spread of HIV or how they are best placed to combat it.

Of course, it is not just what we do that is important but how we do it.

“Partnering” with PNG agencies and institutions is a key principle that governs how we go about affecting change and making things work.

The PNG-Australia HIV and AIDS Program – Sanap Wantaim – endeavours to do this through working closely with both the National AIDS Council Secretariat and the National Department of Health to support their plans and work through their systems.

Working through PNG systems also means a commitment to strengthen those systems where necessary and build the capacity within PNG to plan, implement and monitor programs effectively, whether government or donor-funded.

It’s not just a matter of trying to find a short-term fix – building a clinic here, providing some drugs there - PNG needs to be appropriately skilled and resourced to maintain the gains and manage them in the longer term.

A great resource and guiding tool in our work is the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV and AIDS – GIPA for short.

GIPA is not a project or program – it is a principle that aims to realise the rights and responsibilities of people living with HIV and AIDS.

GIPA says that people Living with HIV and AIDS are entitled to the same human rights as everyone else, including the right to access appropriate services, gender equality, participation in decisions affecting their quality of life, and freedom from discrimination.

Let me take one of these rights in isolation: participation.

Why is it important to involve people infected and affected by HIV?

For most of you here today this is probably a rhetorical question but there are many others, including in the media and at senior levels of government, who do not see the answer so simply.

The involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS in program development and implementation will improve the relevance, acceptability and effectiveness of programs – for who better understands the factors that make individuals and communities vulnerable to HIV infection.

Experience has shown that when communities are proactively involved in ensuring their own well-being, success is more likely.

The GIPA philosophy seeks to ensure that people living with HIV are equal partners – it aims to break down simplistic distinctions like that those living without HIV must be the ‘service providers’ while those living with the disease must be the ‘service receivers’.

The Benefits of understanding this GIPA philosophy are wide ranging.

At the individual level, involvement can improve self-esteem and boost morale, decrease isolation and improve health through access to better information about care and prevention.

Within organisations the participation of people living with HIV can change perception as well as provide valuable experience and knowledge.

At community level involvement of people living with HIV can break down prejudice and fear by showing the faces of people living with HIV and demonstrating that they are productive members and contributors to society.

In this regard Igat Hope is leading the way working with and for people living with HIV. They are working in partnership with many stakeholders throughout PNG, including Sanap Wantaim advocating for the greater involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS in all that we do.

I am happy to announce that Sanap Wantaim is in the process of creating and filling a position as GIPA Advocacy Officer. Our hope is that this role will further enhance the involvement of people living with HIV in the response to HIV.

Conclusion

In conclusion let me say that PNG has an increasing number of players working in HIV and coordination and cooperation with these partners is critical to the success of a response.

We must also look at ways to enhance greater involvement of people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.

We need to share information and make best use of the knowledge that we gain.

And we also need to inspire people to be creative and innovative in their approaches to HIV and AIDS.

Importantly our success also hinges on being able to critically assess and monitor our activities so that we adopt the things that work and discard the things that don’t. A simple premise but no small challenge.

But as I said earlier, today is not about monitoring and evaluation or strategising and planning – today is about reflection and remembering and its about focusing on real people – who deserve our love, our support, our understanding and our respect – and who deserve from us the reassurance that we will never forget and never give up.

Thank you