1 June 2004
NZ assisting Pacific HIV/AIDS fight
Aid Minister Marian Hobbs has today reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS in the Pacific.
"This is our neighborhood and New Zealand is working actively with our Pacific partners to address the challenges
HIV/AIDS brings. We need to ensure that HIV/AIDS does not cast a shadow over the future of the Pacific region," Marian
Hobbs said.
"When dealing with HIV/AIDS it is imperative that we act quickly. As we have seen in Africa, inaction can have terrible
consequences. In the Pacific, we see a 10-year window to halt and reverse the spread of the virus.
"Through NZAID, our international aid and development agency, we are spending approximately $26.2 million a year on
HIV/AIDS related activities. Following the significant increase in aid spending announced in the recent budget, this is
likely to increase over the coming years.
"To bring the best solutions, it is important that we work with the Pacific rather than impose our own judgments. The
cornerstone of our support is to help implement the Pacific’s own regional strategy on HIV/AIDS. Funding of this
initiative is currently being finalized but is likely to be substantial.
"Children are often the most vulnerable members of communities and there is no reason why Pacific children should suffer
due to HIV/AIDS – this is one of the focuses for New Zealand’s HIV/AIDS work.
"We recently provided $2 million to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to help prevent HIV/AIDS affecting children
in the Pacific. This programme involves initiatives preventing the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to children and
teaching life skills to adolescents.
"We are also supporting the Pacific Islands AIDS foundation (PIAF) to improve the quality of life for people living with
HIV/AIDS and their families, and preventing the further spread of the disease in the Pacific. PIAF is the only NGO
focused solely on HIV/AIDS in the Pacific Islands – NZAID is providing PIAF with $730,000 over three years
"In Fiji, NZAID contributes $175,000 annually to a unique project that distributes safe sex information and condoms
quietly and discreetly through the mail system. Allowing people to access these resources confidentially is important
and the approach has proved a great success - since the service was established 8500 requests for information have been
actioned and more than 200,000 condoms distributed.
"I think these initiatives and the many others we have planned reiterate that New Zealand is standing beside Pacific
countries, such as Papua New Guinea, and the region as a whole, in the fight against HIV/AIDS," said Marian Hobbs.
ENDS