Papua New Guinea

With 1.28 percent of the adult population estimated by UNAIDS to be HIV-positive in 2006, Papua New Guinea has one of the most serious HIV/AIDS epidemics in the Asia-Pacific subregion. Although this new prevalence rate is significantly lower than the 2005 UNAIDS estimate of 1.8 percent, it is considered to reflect improvements in surveillance rather than a shrinking epidemic. Papua New Guinea accounts for 70 percent of the subregion's HIV cases and is the fourth country (after Thailand, Cambodia, and Burma) to be classified as having a generalized HIV epidemic.

USAID provides support to Papua New Guinea through its Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA). RDMA efforts are focused on scaling up prevention, care, support and treatment programs to reach most-at-risk populations, specifically men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA); enhancing program quality; and strengthening the strategic information base and enabling environments necessary for effective programming.

View the USAID HIV/AIDS Health Profile for Papua New Guinea - September 2008 [PDF, 121KB]