Kiwi knitters Unite for Mothers in Papua New Guinea

For Sister Betty and Sister Veronica, nurses at Port Moresby General Hospital, the chance to distract young patients and their families with an afternoon of cheer was warmly welcomed as they overlooked the distribution of over 80 colourful knitted blankets which had travelled all the way from New Zealand.

Children looked on curiously as blankets were placed on their beds and the parents of those who were not well enough to participate gratefully received the gifts on their behalf.

Beautiful, soft and each with its own unique design, the blankets were carefully made by knitters in New Zealand as a part of the Unite for Mothers campaign aimed at raising awareness about the prevention of parent to child transmission of HIV and AIDS.

A culture of stigma

The Sisters, who have both worked at Port Moresby Hospital for over 20 years, are heavily involved in Papua New Guinea’s battle against the spread of HIV and AIDS.  They face significant challenges in their daily work.

The stigma attached to the virus means people, especially women, are frightened to get tested.  If women are found to be HIV positive, they often don’t tell their friends and family.

“Because of culture, women are more vulnerable” says Sister Betty.  “They can experience rejection from their families if they are discovered to be HIV positive”.

This issue of stigma means it is difficult to encourage people to be open about their status. “Hospital staff respect patient confidentiality and always protect the privacy of those in their care, but it is difficult to see patients who are found to be HIV positive with children and spouses who remain unaware of their condition.”

A tough battle

Papua New Guinea currently has the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the Pacific and the National Department of Health with help from UNICEF is fighting a tough battle against the spread of the virus. UNICEF currently supports community-led prevention programmes to develop strategies to fight HIV and AIDS, as well as improving the coordination and management of the prevention and support services provided for those affected by and living with HIV and AIDS.

One of the National Department of Health’s most important campaigns is the Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT). Port Moresby General Hospital offers services for PPTCT in the form of four counsellors, immunisation and training for mothers on infant and young child feeding practices including the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding from birth to at least six months of age.

The difference a blanket can make

On a daily basis, illnesses such as pneumonia, cerebral malaria, tuberculosis and meningitis make up most of the cases seen in children at Port Moresby Hospital, and it was important to the Sisters that all children in the ward received a blanket, not just those affected by HIV and AIDS. “These blankets are going to people who are less fortunate and right now nights can become very cold” says Sister Betty, who coordinated the distribution of over 80 blankets. Sister Veronica was also very enthusiastic about the event, “These blankets will go a long way. Many families come from the settlements around Port Moresby and they don’t have these things.” At the Sisters’ request, blankets left over from the distribution have been donated to the hospital’s PPTCT clinic.

UNICEF Country Representative in Papua New Guinea, Dr. Bertrand Desmoulins, personally distributed each blanket to a child and their family and was delighted with the success of the New Zealand campaign.

“We are working on the frontlines to reduce maternal mortality and to prevent the transmission of HIV from parent to child. This means we work to prevent the transmission between parents first, and then from the mother on to the child. Maternal mortality rates are very high in this country, that’s what we are tackling at the moment. You have HIV, but you have a huge maternal mortality which needs to be reduced,” Dr. Desmoulins stressed.

The PPTCT services offered at Port Moresby Hospital and the efforts of people like Sister Veronica and Sister Betty are integral to Papua New Guinea’s battle against the spread of HIV and AIDS. The donations of these beautiful blankets from NZ knitters are proof that Pacific nations are uniting in their efforts to raise awareness about the virus and the services available to support those living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

By Nikki Harvey

Read about our Unite for Mothers Campaign