Businesses Against HIV AIDS (BAHA) website keeps working women informed about HIV

People are interested in how HIV affects young, working women. In March over 1000 people visited the BAHA website www.baha.com.pg  for the first time to look at the new page aimed at providing resources specific to young working women and HIV.

The new page was launched alongside the BAHA March Newsletter because International Women’s Day is celebrated in March.

Apart from stories, reviews, songs and links, BAHA considers as most significant, the promotion of procedures around "post-exposure prophylaxis” for HIV or PEP in case of exposure to HIV.

Dr Nano Gideon (pictured above) from the Heduru Clinic talks about “accidentally exposed” steps to follow which were developed as part of the BAHA workplace training program.

PEP for HIV is an emergency short-term disease-specific treatment to reduce the likelihood of infection. PEP may be prescribed after a workplace accident, sexual assault or sexual accident like a condom breakage.

BAHA General Manager Dr Ann Clarke said: “Information on PEP is a component of BAHA training and BAHA workplace champions learn about universal precautions, first aid kits and PEP. The training includes information on transmission. Although it is quite a mouthful, PEP, as we most need to know it, is a 28-day course of ARVs taken after someone has been exposed to HIV.

“Participants at workplace training participate in role plays to help reinforce the importance of time. If PEP is started within 72 hours of the exposure (and the sooner the better), PEP is highly effective in preventing HIV infection.” said Dr Clarke.

Not many people either know about or understand the process of PEP for HIV. Our champions leave BAHA training knowing critical facts about rapid response, access to services and the drugs involved

At the recent BAHA Tokaut, a participant from PNG Ports said: “I had no idea that an HIV infection could be prevented after accidental exposure All workplaces have accidents and now we know we could prevent an unnecessary infection.”

Dr Nano is in the process of ensuring PEP is understood and delivered at accident and emergencies through Papua New Guinea.

He said: “We would like to see all people who have been accidentally exposed within the first 12 hours!”

Information on rapid response and access to services steps is available from the BAHA website or through enquiries@baha.com.pg.