Pacific Urged to do More to Fight HIV AIDs

The region has been urged to do more to control the spread of HIV AIDS.

According to a report by Australia Network News, the retiring Director of the United Nations support team for HIV AIDS control in the Pacific, Dr. Prasad Rao, is urging island nations to do more to control the epidemic spread of the virus.

According to the report, Dr. Rao says 'around 90 per cent of HIV cases in the Pacific are in Papua New Guinea'.

While the virus is spread in other island nations through prostitution, tourists and foreign workers, Dr Rao says in PNG the spread of the epidemic has more in common with sub Saharan Africa.

"It's spreading more due to concurrent sexual partnership, high degree of gender based violence, and also atrocities committed by the law enforcement agencies," he said.

It is estimated there are now nearly 100,000 people across the Pacific now affected by HIV.