PNG gets $11m boost to HIV prevention
![Men, women and children who have tested positive to HIV congregate at a safe-house in a settlement in Port Moresby. [Reuters]](http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201105/r774458_6617156.jpg "Men, women and children who have tested positive to HIV congregate at a safe-house in a settlement in Port Moresby. [Reuters]")
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Men, women and children who have tested positive to HIV congregate at a safe-house in a settlement in Port Moresby. [Reuters]
Liam Fox, Port Moresby
Last Updated:
The Australian government is providing $11 million to help stop Papua New Guinea mothers passing HIV onto their babies.
A partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative will help mothers in PNG's Highlands get drugs that prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies.
Australia's foreign minister, Kevin Rudd, says the money will also fund paediatric care for more than 700 HIV-positive children.
Overall Australia funds 60 per cent of the country's response to the disease.
AusAID said 100,000 Papua New Guineans were tested for HIV last year and antiretroviral drugs are now available in every province.
PNG has the second-worst HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, behind Thailand.
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