Malum Nalu

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Please pass these to your teacher friends

Dear friends,

It would be useful if PNG students and teachers learned the derivation of words based on Latin and Greek roots. Combine these with an understanding of prefixes and suffixes and there is access for all to hundreds of words.

We are long distant members of the Roman Empire that brought Latin to England, France, Italy and Spain. Then Normans came to England and brought French words based on Latin. So English double-dipped into Latin. Australians brought English to Papua New Guinea.

Let us explore a selection of Latin and Greek roots. We have a new way of looking at English. There are not just thousands of words. There are dozens of word groupings.

It would be good if the roots of words were returned to the class room.

Students would enter a new world of language.

Latin Greek

Every day Official & scientific

words words

****************

Ago (actus) – I do.

agent, act, actor, react, reagent, agile, action, interact,

interaction,

Ameas (amat) – Love, happy

amorous, amicable, amamas (tok pisin), amour (French)

amo (Italian), amiable.

Arche – rule

Monarchy, oligarchy, anarchy

Aster – a star

Aster daisy ( flower looks like a star), asteroid,

astronomy, astrology, asterisk, astronaut

Aves –the birds

Aviation, aviary, aviator

Baros – weight

Barometer, barometric,

Biblos – a book

Bible, bibliography, bibliotheque (French)

Cado ( cassus) – I fall

accident, cadence, cascade, decay, decadent, decadence.

occasion,

Capio (captus) – I take

Capture, captive, captivate, escape, captivity

Caput – the head.

Cap, captain (English), Kapitano (Italian), Kapitain (Spanish) capital,

caption, decapitate, recapitulate.

Cedo (cessus) - I go

Proceed, procession, recede, recession, concede, concession

intercede, intercession, cede, cession, precede, precedent.

Centum – a hundred

Century, cent, centurion, centavo (Spanish), centenary,

centenarian

Claudo (claussus) - I shut

Exclude, exclusion, include, inclusion, clause, cloister,

recluse,

Cor – the heart

Cordial, core, Coeur (French), courage, courageous, courtesy,

Sacre Coeur ( French Catholic) Cor blimey ( English slang)

Corpus – the body

Corporal, corpse, corpulent, corporation. Corps, Corpus Christi

(Italian) , incorporate

Culpare – guilty

Culpable, Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa ( Latin Catholic)

Curro (cursus) – I run

Current, incur, incursion, recur, recurrent, course, cursory, cursive

discourse, cursor

Decim – ten

Decimal, decimate, decade, December (Julian calendar)

Demos – the people

Democracy, democratic

Dens (dentis) – a tooth

Dentine, dentist, dental, denture, indent, indentation

Dico ( dictus) – I say

Predict, prediction, indict, indictment, diction, indicate,

indication, dicta-phone, dictionary,

Duco (ductus) – I lead

Duct, viaduct, oviduct, conduct, conductor, conduction

Duce ( Italian), reduce, reduction, deduce, deduction,

produce, product, production, introduce, introduction.

Eo – I go

Exit, exeunt (Shakespeare)

Facio ( factus) – I make

Factory, manufacture, facile, faction,

Fero ( latus) - I bear

Refer, transfer, confer, reference, conference, relate,

translate, translation, collate

Finis – the end

Finish, pinis (tok pisin), finite, infinite, final, finality,

finissimo (Italian), finale, refine, refinery, finery

Flecto (flectus) I bend

Flexible, inflexible, reflect, reflection, deflect, deflection.

flex, inflexion. Reflex

Fluo – I flow

Fluid, fluent, fluency, influence, affluent, effluent

Fort (fortus) – strong

Fort, fortitude, fortissimo ( Italian), Codral Forte,

comfort, comfortable.

Frango ( fractus) – I break

Fragile, fraction, fracture, fragment, fractious,

Fundo (fundus) – I pour

Fund, funnel, profound, refund

Ge –the earth

Geology, geography, geophysical,

Gradior (gressus) – a slope

Grade, gradual, gradient, gradually, degrade,

progress,

Grapho – I write

Photograph, telegraph, graph, graphite, graphic,

Homeo – the same

Homo sapiens, homophobia, homosexual, homogeneous

Jacio (jectus) – I throw

Inject, injection, project, projection, projector, reject, rejection

eject, ejection, ejaculate, deject, conjecture, interject, interjection

Judes – a judge

Judiciary, judge, judicial, judgment

Jungo (jungtus) – I join

Junction, juncture, adjunct, injunction, conjunction

Legis – law

Legal, illegal, legislate, legislation, legislature

Lego (lectus) - I gather

Lecture, college, religion, lecturn, collect, collection

Logos – a study or discourse

Biology, astrology, geology, anthropology, anthology,

monologue, catalogue, dialogue, epilogue

Luna – the moon

Lunar, la lune (French), lunatic (people believed to go

mad a the full moon)

Manus – the hand

Manual, manuscript, manage, management

Mater – a mother

Maternal, matron, ma’am, mama,

Metron – a measure

Meter, barometer, anemometer, thermometer,

Mitto (missus) –I send

Emit, emission, transmit, transmission, promise, commit, admit,

committee, commission, admission, permit, permission

Moveo – I move

Mobile, automobile, mobility, immobile, movie

Nascor (nativitis) - I am born

Native, national, international, nativity, felice nativitat (Spanish)

Pars (partus) – a part

Part, particle, particular, partition, participate, apartment, compartment,

repartee, separate, separation, impart

Pater – a father

Papa, paternal, patron, pastor,

Pathos – feeling

Pathos, pathetic, sympathy, apathy, empathy, antipathy

Pax – peace

Peace, compassion, Pacific Ocean, pacify, pacification

Pendeo (pendus) – I hang down

Pendant, pensive, penis, pendulum, suspend, penchant

Pes (pedus) – a foot

Pedal, pedestrian, pedometer

Phonos – sound

Telephone, phonetics, phone,

Phos – light

Photograph, phosphorus, photosynthesis, photogenic

Pleo – I fill

Complement, implement, implementation, supplement

Plico – I fold

Application, apply, reply, imply

Porto (portus) - I carry

Port, report, transport, transportation, import, importation,

export, exportation, deport, deportation, deportee, important.

Premo (pressus) – I press

Press, pressure, express, depress, impresario (Italian) supreme,

impress, impression, compression

Primus – first

Prime, primary, primeval, primitive, imprimateur

Rex (regis) – a rule

Regal, vice-regal, tyrannosaurus rex

Polis – a city

Police, metropolis, metropolitan,

Pono (possus) - I place

Postpone, opponent, expose, impose, repose, depose, deposit,

composite, composition, position, expose

Sacre – holy

Sacred, sacristy, Sacred Coeur ( Catholic French)

Scando (scandus) – I climb

Ascend, ascent, descend, descent, scandal

Skopeo - I view

Telescope, periscope, microscope, scope,

Secto (cidus)_ - I cut or kill

Dissect, dissection, bisect, intersect, intersection, suicide,

genocide, insecticide, spermacide, resection, section, sector,

sect, insect

Scribo ( scriptus) – I write

Describe, description, inscribe, inscription, conscription, scribe

scripture, scribble, prescribe, prescription, script

Specio (spectus) I see

Special, specialty, inspect, inspection, respect, spectacles, species,

introspect, introspection

Tango (tangus) - I touch

Tangible, intangible, tactile, tact, tactless

Tenio (tendus) – I hold

Tender, tendon, extend, intend, intention, contend, contention,

pretend, pretension, portend, tension, extension

Terra – the earth

Terrestrial, terra firma, inter, interred, interment, extra- terrestrial,

Mediterranean ( middle of the earth) Terra nova, subterranean

Therme – heat

Thermal, thermometer, hypothermia, thermostat

Traho (tractus) – I draw

Tractor, traction, contract, extract, retract, contraction, retraction,

detract, detraction, distract, distraction

Video (vissus) – I see

Video player, DVD, vision, visible, invisible, revise, advice,

advise,

Venio – I come

Venture, convene, convention, invent, convent, veni-vidi-vinci

(I came- I saw- I conquered), prevent.

Verto (versus) – I turn

Revert, reverse, inverse, converse, convert, conversion, versus

Vinco -_I conquer

Convince, vanquish, invincible, HMS Invincible.

Volvo (volvus) – I roll

Revolve, revolver, Volvo car, involve, revolution, convolution,

convolvulus (flower)

Zoon – an animal

Zoo, zoology, zooplankton, zoological, spermatozoa, protozoan

If you are interested in words, please keep these on your computer and run your eye down the list from time to time. I learned these words from Grades 7-12 from 1958 to 1963. I will never forget.

Regards,

Bruce Copeland BA BEdSt

Happy Birthday, Mum

Happy Birthday to Mum, Mrs Moasing Nalu, who would have turned 72 today, but who left us on September 2, 2009.

You're still the best Mum in the world and will always be remembered by your children, grandchildren, family and friends.

That's a picture of her above with a baby while a nurse at Buangi Hospital, Finschhafen, many years ago.

Madang's 2nd tailings pipe

Yandera developer looks at disposal options

By SINCLAIRE SOLOMON

THE developer of Madang’s second biggest mine is considering a deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) system – similar to the one which has landed the Ramu nickel project developer, Ramu NiCo, in court and further delayed construction of its refinery in Basamuk in Madang’s Astrolabe Bay, The National reports.

Australian-based Marengo Mining Ltd has selected a site not too far from the Ramu NiCo’s refinery and planned DSTP system construction which had been put on hold following an interim injunction taken by a group of landowners who claimed the system would be environmentally damaging.

Marengo is developing the Yandera copper-molybdenum-gold prospect in the Bismarck Range, several kilometres southwest of Ramu nickel’s Kurumbukari nickel-cobalt mine.

Managing director Les Emery confirmed the DSTP proposal yesterday but also pointed out that “a number of tailings disposal methods would continue to be evaluated”.

The DSTP plans were highlighted in Marengo’s June quarter report which was released last Friday.

Three key tailings management possibilities had been identified: a tailings storage facility (TSF) within the Ramu Valley, about 28km from the processing plant; the DSTP, about 100km from the plant site; and combination of TSF and DSTP.

Interestingly, Marengo engaged Coffey Natural Systems of Australia, the same company engaged by Ramu NiCo for its environmental management and deep sea tailings placement study.

“The Ramu valley is the preferred site to establish a TSF because of the flatter terrain, lower drainage management requirements and geotechnical aspects.

“Additional studies would be conducted to determine if it would be necessary to implement the DSTP within the initial 10-year operating life.”

“Oceanographic testing equipment was deployed into Astrolabe Bay, on the north coast of PNG, in an area selected as a potential location for deep seas tailings placement (DSTP).

“This testing is part of comprehensive baseline study activity, required to be carried out before any development and environmental permit is made.

“Prior to the deployment of the oceanographic equipment, public awareness meetings were held at nearby villages.

“These meetings were a great success and will set the foundation for similar meetings, as other activities are undertaken.”

Emery did not specifically answer questions on whether Marengo was following the Ramu NiCo court case and its eventual outcome to decide whether to proceed with the DSTP system.

However, he told The National that the system was included in its definitive feasibility study (DFS) into the development of the Yandera project which was scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

Emery said that during the course of the study, many aspects of proposed mining operations had been considered as part of developing a long life mining operation which would benefit all stakeholders.

“To achieve this outcome, we continue to consider the various components, their suitability of application to the project, their effect on the environment and communities, and their economic viability.

“A number of tailings disposal methods continue to be evaluated, including that of DSTP for the safe storage of inert process tailings, after recovery of sulphide concentrates.

“Land-based tailing storage methods are also being evaluated and the final decision as to what will be included in the mining approval applications will be made early next year.”

He said that based on a the DFS completion date, securing of project financing and permitting approvals the US$1.6 billion Yandera project could be in full production by 2014.

On the other hand, the US$1.37 billion Ramu nickel project was scheduled to be commissioned later this year.

Road works not delivering

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

PARTICIPANTS at a field staff conference in Port Moresby were told yesterday that the road construction industry (RCI) has not delivered to the expectation of the Department of Works, The National reports.

Works regional and provincial managers, civil engineers and staff were also warned that unless drastic measures were instituted, the situation would not improve and the ensuing effects would not only be detrimental to the industry but to the future development of PNG.

Northern-Islands regional works manager Brian Alois highlighted this during his presentation on “managing the effects of competing priorities and the struggling road construction industry” at a week-long conference which ends on Thursday.

“There is already sufficient evidence to show that the road construction industry is failing in more ways than one and, we (DoW ) as the mandated implementation agency, has not been able to discreetly contain the situation,” he stated.

Alois added that the cost to carry out road projects had increased 10 times in the last 16 years, for instance, to upgrade and seal a kilometre of road in 1994 was about K100,000 but will now cost about K1 million.

All these, he said, was having an adverse effect in the drawdown of the national transport development plan (NTDP).

“In the next couple of years, NTDP will be reviewed and, when it takes place, a greater number of the 16 roads which are listed as priorities, would retain their status and the non-priority roads will remain non-priority for another period of time,” he argued.

These 16 roads, Alois added, accounted for 4,217km out of the 9,328.5km of national roads which “is really an unfair distribution of service”.

“So, if the NTDP focuses on 4,217km of road, it is actually serving 870,000 people out of the 6.73 million which clearly indicates that we are not getting it right,” he said.

Alois challenged field staff to provide solutions to the effects as the best way to manage a problem.

Price rise hits families

By BOSORINA ROBBY

A RISE in the price of goods and services in the country has many families trimming their costs, paying more attention to their food budget, and asking if the government is going to do something about inflation, The National reports.

Figures for the June quarter, released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), showed a rise in consumer price index (CPI), both headline and underlying.

The CPI measures price change across a range of goods and services, and generally tells you the spending pattern of the population in PNG’s urban centres.

The NSO figures show that the prices of goods and services have been rising steadily since the 2009 December quarter in the major centres of the country.

These include the price of food items, tobacco and betelnut, clothing, rent, fuel and power.

In the June quarter, the CPI rose by 1.6%, compared to 1.4% in the March quarter of this year. But this varied depending on which urban center you are in.

The CPI change for Port Moresby was 0.5% while Goroka was higher at 2.5%, Lae 2.9% and Madang 3%.

Food prices grew by 2.4%, while rent, fuel and power charges were higher at 3%.

For a teacher who was out shopping at Stop N Shop in Waigani yesterday with his three children, the inflation is biting in.

The family buys food stuff in bulk to save.

The father said they live at Rainbow and they preferred Stop N Shop because the prices were within their range. A 10kg Roots Rice they were after was going for K37.80, which he said was cheaper than at other shops.

He explained why he shopped where food prices were cheap.

“This way, I can budget for fuel for my car to pick up and drop off of my kids at school and to at least save some money because I am a teacher and we don’t get that much every fortnight,” he said.

Wages for teachers differ, depending on their levels and where they teach. A national high school teacher might gross of K800-K900 fortnightly while an elementary teacher would be around K300.

If housing is not provided, their salaries obviously cannot pay the rents on offer in Port Moresby today, never mind buying food for the family, paying council and other rates, and saving for medical and other expenses.

A number of respondents to an online survey done yesterday by The National blamed the LNG project for the inflation.

All complained of a strain on their pay packet.

A female respondent said that even though she was single, she had to cut down on some of her habits and stick to her budget so that her pay could last.

She has also taken to setting up small business ventures like selling betelnut to supplement her income.

One father said that the traditional obligatory responsibilities of the Melanesian family also put the strain on families.

“Non-compliance of obligatory responsibilities have soured relations, while those who comply in fear of stigma find themselves driven further and further into debt,” he said.

Another, who resides in a settlement in the city, said that with the much publicised LNG project and its benefits which are still to felt, vendors, wholesalers and suppliers were increasing their produce because they think that there was enough money floating around to pay for the high cost of food and other stuffs.

He said that at the moment, garden foods at the markets cost almost the same as those in the shops.

“A bunch of banana is K2. For a big family, that is not enough. Also a 1kg packet of rice is almost K5 for Roots and K6 for Trukai.”

Monday, August 16, 2010

Literacy training for churches and women's groups

From BRUCE COPELAND

Dear friends,

In recent months, I have returned to designing study material to teach reading to the grassroots Papua New Guinea people through literacy programmes. The

literacy programmes are poorly done in this country.

These rely too much on the skill of the teacher. Many teachers in NGOs and churches lack the skill. A resource book is needed.

The best approach is to prepare short stories about people. That is the basis of a programme I am preparing for a church. When we do this we can tell stories for the learner to read, ask questions for the learner to read and have the learner write answers. The learner is gaining skill in written language.

Then we can take the learner through the basics of the language very quickly. Our stories can be designed to repeat all the basics. A teacher has the task to take the learners through the stories over the time of the course.

We can use the stories to introduce issues that can be discussed while the learner is reading. Issues can be on health, growing up, marriage, violence, parenting, HIV/AIDS, relationships and nutrition.

Learners are getting two courses in one. The book below has been prepared with 30 stories. It is for a literacy programme based on Tok Pisin. Basics are repeated story by story but the level of difficulty rises story by story.

I would be happy to show any women’s group or church an effective way to conduct literacy training in English or Tok Pisin.

Letter to the editor on Outcome Based Education

From BRUCE COPELAND

I write in response to a letter to the editor of The National newspaper of Papua New Guinea (12 August 2010) written by Dianne McManus Head of English at

Port Moresby International School run by the International Education Agency.

She wrote in support of Outcome Based Education (OBE) stating that she had checked results in a number of local schools to find that the standard of English

is rising. This is good to hear.

Ms McManus also wrote to explain what OBE is. She explained that it did not involve the mere regurgitation of facts but required students to think, research,

interpret and analyse.

This is an important direction for education. That is where the validity of what she is saying stops dead. The local schools in Port Moresby would have been those

with middle-class children enrolled.

Many would have had educated parents who speak English and who have daily access to TV, DVD movies in English, books, newspapers and understanding of

how to succeed.

They would have educated opinions on many issues and a background knowledge

of the world.

Ms McManus may well have come to Papua New Guinea direct from a middle-class school somewhere in the developed world. Her skills in teaching are undoubtedly invaluable to pass on to PNG teachers.

She has to understand that there is another world out there of primary and secondary schools where education is in total poverty. Schools have no electricity which deprives them of TV, computers and photo copy machines.

Schools have access only to a duplicating machine which severely limits quality and range of material given to students, provided the school has funds for ink and paper.

Students come from villages where people do not speak English and do nothing to promote educational success of the children. Girls come home from school to work. Boys come home to swim, fish and throw stones. There is no reinforcement of school in the village.

Teachers have no choice but to conduct classes from the blackboard. Students copy the work into their books. The top percentage of rural children go on to high school.

It is only fair that they are not discriminated against. So they may go off to high school with the capacity to use 100 English words and to understand 200 more.

Many can not understand what is spoken in class and written in books. In library lessons they just stare at a page and turn the page if they see a teacher watching.

They hide their lack of skill by copying what is on the blackboard into their books. Some hide down in the gardens during tests. They are culled at the end of grades 6 and 8. I personally experienced this in three Morobe rural high schools

In many schools, there is an anti-antellectual culture among students in the middle grades, the more gifted students have to study quietly and not contribute in class for fear of being intimidated by the less clever students. They know they have to shut up and let the teacher do all the talking.

Thank you to Ms McManus for your input. I sincerely wish you well in your effort to help OBE at least in the middle-class schools of PNG.

Regards,

Bruce Copeland BA BEdSt

Community service for teachers, journalists and students

From BRUCE COPELAND

Dear friends,

It would be useful if Papua New Guinea students and teachers learned the derivation of words based on Latin and Greek roots. Combine these with an understanding of prefixes and suffixes and there is access for all to hundreds of words.

We are long distant members of the Roman Empire that brought Latin to England, France, Italy and Spain. Then Normans came to England and

brought French words based on Latin. So English double-dipped into Latin. Australians brought English to PNG.

Let us explore a selection of Latin roots. We have a new way of looking at English. There are not just thousands of words. There are dozens of word groupings.

It would be good if the roots of words were returned to the class room. Students would enter a new world of language.

Ago (actus) – I do.

agent, act, actor, react, reagent, agile,

Ameas (amat) – Love, happy

amorous, amicable, amamas (tok pisin), amour (French) amo (Italian), amiable.

Aves –the birds

Aviation, aviary,

Cado ( cassus) – I fall

accident, cadence, cascade, decay, decadent, decadence.

Capio (captus) – I take

Capture, captive, captivate, escape, captivity

Caput – the head.

Cap, captain (English), Kapitano (Italian), Kapitain (Spanish)

capital, caption, decapitate, recapitulate.

Cedo (cessus) - I go

Proceed, procession, recede, recession, concede, concession

intercede, intercession, cede, cession, precede, precedent.

Centum – a hundred

Century, cent, centurion,

Cor – the heart

Cordial, core, Coeur (French), courage, courageous, courtesy,

Sacre Coeur ( French Catholic) Cor blimey ( English slang)

Corpus – the body

Corporal, corpse, corpulent, corporation. Corps, Corpus Christi

(Italian)

Curro (cursus) – I run

Current, incur, incursion, recur, recurrent, course, cursory, cursive

discourse,

Decius – ten

Decimal, decimate, decade,

Dens (dentis) – a tooth

Dentine, dentist, dental, denture, indent, indentation

Dico ( dictus) – I say

Predict, prediction, indict, indictment, diction, indicate,

indication, dicta-phone, dictionary,

Duco (ductus) – I lead

Duct, viaduct, oviduct, conduct, conductor, conduction

Duce ( Italian), reduce, reduction, deduce, deduction,

produce, product, production, introduce, introduction.

Facio ( factus) – I make

Factory, manufacture, facile,

Fero ( latus) - I bear

Refer, transfer, confer, reference, conference, relate,

translate, translation, collate

Finis – the end

Finish, pinis (tok pisin), finite, infinite, final, finality

Flecto (flectus) I bend

Flexible, inflexible, reflect, reflection, deflect, deflection.

flex, inflexion. reflex

Fort (fortus) – strong

Fort, fortitude, fortissimo ( Italian), Codral Forte

Frango ( fractus) – I break

Fragile, fraction, fracture, fragment

Fundo (fundus) – I pour

Fund, funnel, profound, refund

Ge –the earth

Geology, geography, geophysical,

Gradior – a slope

Grade, gradual, gradient, gradually, degrade,

Homeo – the same

Homo sapiens, homophobia, homosexual, homogeneous

Jacio (jectus) – I throw

Inject, injection, project, projection, projector, reject, rejection

eject, ejection, ejaculate, deject, conjecture, interject, interjection,

Legis – law

Legal, illegal, legislate, legislation, litigation

Lego (lectus) - I gather

Lecture, college, religion, lecturn, collect, collection

Manus – the hand

Manual, manuscript, manage, management

Mater – a mother

Maternal, matron, ma’am, mama,

Pars (partus) – a part

Part, particle, particular, partition, participate, apartment, compartment, repartee.

Pater – a father

Papa, paternal, patron, pastor,

Pleo – I fill

Complement, implement, implementation, supplement

Plico – I fold

Application, apply, reply, imply

Porto (portus) - I carry

Port, report, transport, transportation, import, importation,

export, exportation, deport, deportation, deportee, important.

Premo (pressus) – I press

Press, pressure, express, depress, impresario (Italian) supreme,

Rex (regis) – a rule

Regal, vice-regal, tyrannosaurus rex

Pono (possus) - I place

Postpone, opponent, expose, impose, repose, depose, deposit,

composite, composition,

Scando (scandus) – I climb

Ascend, ascent, descend, descend, scandal

Secto (cidus)_ - I cut or kill

Dissect, dissection, bisect, intersect, intersection, suicide,

genocide, insecticide, spermacide, resection, section, sector,

Scribo ( scriptus) – I write

Describe, description, inscribe, inscription, conscription, scribe

scripture, scribble, prescribe, prescription,

Specio (spectus) I see

Special, specialty, inspect, inspection, respect, spectacles, species,

introspect, introspection

Tenio (tendus) – I hold

Tender, tendon, extend, intend, intention, contend, contention,

pretend, pretension, portend, tension,

Video (vissus) – I see

Video player, DVD, vision, visible, invisible,

Venio – I come

Venture, convene, convention, invent, convent, veni-vidi-vinci

(I came- I saw- I conquered)

Verto (versus) – I turn

Revert, reverse, inverse, converse, convert, conversion, versus

Vinco -_I conquer

Convince, vanquish, invincible, HMS Invincible.

Volvo (volvus) – I roll

Revolve, revolver, Volvo car, involve, revolution, convolution,

convolvulus (flower)

If you are interested in words, please keep these on your computer and run your eye down the list from time to time. I learned these words from Grades 7-12 from 1958 to 1963. I will never forget.

Regards,

Bruce Copeland BA BEdSt

Teacher of English in PNG

Papua New Guinea estimates national HIV prevalence at 0.9% in 2009

PORT MORESBY: The PNG Department of Health (NDOH) and National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) have estimated that national HIV prevalence in 2010 is 0.92% with an upward trend.

The latest estimate is based on an analysis conducted in 2009 using most recent data available across the country.

The new estimates of HIV prevalence were carried out by a panel of national and international experts using data on HIV tests among pregnant women at Antenatal Clinics (ANCs) in Highlands, Southern, Momase, and New Guinea Islands regions.

The results were collated and finalised during a joint NDOH-NACS workshop in June 2010.

PNG has been using higher estimates of prevalence since 2007 based on data from a relatively small number of rural and urban sites.

Since then there has been a substantial increase in number of health facilities conducting HIV tests among antenatal mothers and this information has provided enough data to get a better picture of the epidemic in 2009 with a revised 0.92 % prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15-49 years.

The findings also indicate that there might possibly be an initiation of levelling-off in the spread of epidemic which, however, requires further careful investigations.

National AIDS Council chairman Sir Peter Barter, while expressing his views on the 2009 HIV analysis, said: “The latest estimates have provided us an opportunity to understand the dynamics of HIV spread in the country and see how we are responding to the disease.

“We should not become complacent or relaxed as a result of latest prevalence estimates.

“To me the latest figure of 0.9% is just a step forward towards having a better and realistic picture of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea as a result of ten-fold improved surveillance.

“The problem of HIV/AIDS is enormous in our country and we need to invest equally enormous resources to fight it out.

“I do not doubt the spread of HIV in high risk groups remains alarmingly high.”

The new estimate has shown substantial increase in the number of ANC sites providing testing services throughout the country from 17 in 2005 to 178 in 2009 resulting in more information being available to draw from.

The latest estimates imply that there have been improvements in the disease surveillance and access to better HIV-related services; however, all other HIV indicators including number of deaths, number of orphans, new HIV cases, stigma, and discrimination do not provide encouraging signs.

The HIV occurrence has been found to be the highest in Highlands and Southern Region (1.02% and 1.17%, respectively) with lower but increasing estimates in Momase and New Guinea Islands (0.63% and 0.61%, respectively).

The total estimated number of people living with HIV in 2009 is 34,100.

Of these, 31,000 were estimated to be adults aged 15+ and 3,100 were estimated to be children.

Overall, about 3,200 people were estimated to be infected in 2009, while more than 1,300 people were estimated to have died from AIDS in the same year.

This analysis also noted a substantial increase in the number of people who are benefiting from counselling and treatment services.

There has also been an increase in the number of newborns able to benefit from the prevention programmes for parent to child HIV transmission.

The new HIV estimates, while presenting the latest overview of the prevalence, have some limitations also to the accuracy of data.

Although much more data is available, the quality of this data is still variable.

There were only a small number of sites that had consistent data.

The team of experts who conducted these estimates has recommended to (a) strengthen surveillance activities, (b) invest in sustainable prevention and treatment efforts, (c) use behavioural and STI surveillance data for interpretation of prevalence trends, and (d) conduct a national household HIV prevalence survey.

Sir Peter said that regardless of what appeared to be a reduced prevalence rate, the first priority must be given to prevention and the strategy was clearly outlined in the National Prevention Strategy and would be evident in the 2011-2016 National HIV Strategy due to be released in the very near future.