After Tsunami, Drought, PNG Faces AIDS Disaster

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

After Tsunami, Drought, PNG Faces AIDS Disaster

Australian Associated Press (12/30/98)
Chappell, Trevor

Following a year of devastating drought and a tsunami, Papua New Guinea faces a soaring rate of AIDS. According to experts, HIV incidence in the country last year reached two cases per 1,000 adults, while the incidence of tuberculosis was seven per 1,000 adults. A total of 1,346 HIV infections have been reported in Papua New Guinea since 1987, but the country's health department estimates the actual number could reach 10,000, with up to 20,000 infected by 2001. The primary method of HIV transmission in Papua New Guinea is unprotected heterosexual intercourse, and 40 percent of the country's HIV/AIDS cases are among individuals between the ages of 15 and 25.

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