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Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in two remote parts of Central Province has been made simpler with the donation of two microscopes by ChildFund Papua New Guinea.

The donation of the A$2,400 Olympus CX23 microscopes to the Inauai and Aigevairu Health Centres will speed up the delivery of TB results from sputum tests, and forms part of ChildFund’s Healthy Communities for Healthy Children Program.

In the past, sputum was collected from patients and then transported to Port Moresby for smear microscopy at the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), or Bereina Health Centre. This is because the two local Health Centres were not equipped for TB testing and analysis. It would take several days before the results could be sent back to local health workers.

“The donation has been a blessing. I am thankful to ChildFund PNG for listening to our need and for helping us. This microscope has eased our workload and provides quick results for the clients. With this microscope, I will no long waste time to travel for smear tests and use those hours to save more lives,” said Francis Aupu, Lab Technician at Aigevairu Health Centre.

“Since the announcement of the availability of the testing services, Agevairu Health Centre recorded 87 clients between the ages of 11 – 70 being tested, between September 2015 and April 2016,” said Olive Oa, ChildFund PNG Senior Program Officer for Health. From this, she added that nine cases of TB have been confirmed.

Inauai Health Centre received their microscope in April and have already commenced testing for patients.

CPHL Medical Scientist, Jennifer Banamu, said: “CPHL is responsible to purchase such equipment for Health Centres in the country, but currently, there are no funds available. We have asked the Provincial Health Departments to support their districts. CPHL appreciates ChildFund’s effort with this much-needed donation for the two Health Centres.”

Despite TB testing now being available at two local Health Centres, many patients from rural communities still face difficulty accessing support. The issue of having to walk for hours or drift on banana rafts down rivers still remains; and in more severe cases, patients may have to be carried on stretchers by men. This is due to a lack of road links and deteriorating road conditions in Central Province.

The world has done an incredible job to halt and reverse the AIDS epidemic. Since 2000, new HIV infections among children have declined by 58% worldwide. That means fewer babies than ever are born with HIV and fewer children are dying from AIDS-related deaths.

Yet we still need to ensure adequate support for the 2.6 million children living with HIV globally. The number of children accessing treatment is appallingly low. Only 1 in 3 children living with HIV has access to the treatment they need – and adolescent deaths have tripled over the past 15 years.

In Myanmar, an estimated 11,000 children are living with HIV. Access to healthcare services is limited, particularly in rural areas.

Yamone is one teenager who was diagnosed during childhood. She and her mother are both HIV-positive, with her father passing away from the disease 11 years ago.

Growing up in a poor area, Yamone often suffered from fevers and nausea due to her illness. She also faced discrimination in her community, even within her own family. Her poor health, coupled with the stigma she experienced, prevented her from going to school and living a normal life with her friends.

To support young people like Yamone, ChildFund Myanmar has been working with Spectrum – a local organisation operating in the Mandalay region – providing basic healthcare to children and families affected by HIV and AIDS, and connecting them with peer health groups and support networks. This project is supported by the Australian Government.

Yamone and her mother now receive home-based healthcare, while Yamone has also undertaken life-skills training and benefited from resources to support her education, including a bicycle and a school uniform.

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