 Solomonstarnews.com
25 April, 2007 - 9:00am.
By MOFFAT MAMU
THERE is a greater challenge ahead for the country in addressing HIV/AIDS issues says Minister of Health and Medical Services Clay Forau as he confirmed new HIV/AIDS cases in Solomon Islands.
Mr Forau, who had just returned from a HIV/AIDS conference in New Zealand, told Solomon Star on Friday that two new cases have been confirmed bringing the number of confirmed HIV/AIDS cases in SI to eight.However, the minister said these two new cases were only identified from those who voluntarily test for the virus.
He said HIV/AIDS is very risky and there could be more people living with it in the country and refusing to have a test.“I believe there are more people infected with the virus out there, spreading the virus without knowing it.
“This figure might just be the tip of an ice-berg with many more locals being infected already so the number could be more than eight,” Mr Forau said.He said two HIV/AIDS patients have already died and one had been sent back to one of the provinces.“Others are still living with the virus and going around,” Mr Forau said.The minister said because of the risk, people living with the virus should not go around spreading the virus to others through sexual contacts.
The meeting which Mr Forau attended last week was a Regional High Level Consultation on HIV and Law organised by the United Nations Development Programme’s Pacific Centre, Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team and UNAIDS.
The consultation aims to examine ways of ensuring the participants’ countries’ laws relating to HIV adequately respect and protect the rights of people living with HIV.Some forty delegates from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Nauru, Niue, Tokelau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Cook Islands attended the consultation.Meanwhile, Mr Forau said this SI figure might increase when the National AIDS Council confirmed the actual number.
He said this latest figure is a concern to the government who is now trying to address the situation in the country.“The virus is a threat to human life and the fact that it is spreading at an alarming rate must be a concern to any right mined leader,” said the Minister.
The Ministry of Health identifies most nightclubs as hotspots where the deadly virus can be acquired and transferred.“This is a very serious concern for the country if we are not careful,” the minister said. |
BENJAMIN DISRAELI (1804-1881)
Jacinta Moli from Central Malaita representing Solomon Islands in Powerlifting during the Commonwealth Games
