New HIV-AIDS centre opens in Fiji
Updated
A research centre to help Pacific countries better respond to increasing rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections has opened in Fiji. Researchers and experts meeting in Suva have heard how current awareness programs don't seem to be working like they should, so there's a need for Pacific-centred research to guide new programs.
Presenter: Ricardo Morris
Speaker: Avelina Rokoduru, the coordinator of Pacific STI and HIV Research Centre; Dr Dennie Iniakwala, the head of the STI-HIV section at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
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MORRIS: Culture is at the centre of Pacific life and the opening of the Pacific STI and HIV Research Centre, or Pee-shark, at the Fiji School of Medicine is no exception. The 2008 UNAIDS report estimates there are 74,000 people living with HIV in Oceania, the bulk of them in Papua New Guinea. And despite the effort and resources poured into awareness programs, there are signs HIV and STIs are taking hold. Those most vulnerable are young people.
There is high risk behaviour amongst our youth, says Avelina Rokoduru, the coordinator of PSHRC.
ROKODURU: We have young people who are practising unsafe sex, with multiple partners at a very young age.
MORRIS: She says those involved in HIV/AIDS prevention work should question the usefulness of current approaches.
ROKODURU: How effective has been our advocacy, our awareness programs that we have put in place? Maybe its time we step back and re-evaluated what weve been offering as advocacy and awareness given that this behaviour has not changed.
MORRIS: PSHRC has been years in the planning, and has so far cost US$80,000 to get going. Funded by AusAID, PSHRC is a collaborative venture between the University of New South Wales, the Fiji School of Medicine and the University of the South Pacific.
Dr Dennie Iniakwala, the head of the STI/HIV section at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, opened the centre.
INIAKWALA: In the Pacific region, we are currently seeing two distinct epidemics that are unfolding. There is a generalised epidemic in Papua New Guinea and the low prevalence (epidemic) in other Pacific Islands Countries and Territories. However, we also see that there are high prevalence of other sexually-transmitted infections in all of the countries in the region.
MORRIS: Dr Iniakwala says improving regional HIV research is critical and PSHRC should go go some way to help build institutional capacity within Pacific countries.
INIAKWALA: It may be costly for now, but it is a long-term investment that can better inform the programs that we are developing as well as minimising wastage of funds on interventions that do not work.
