Oil Search is expanding its role in Papua New Guinea from its vast resources activities, to assisting the management of the country’s HIV and AIDS programs.
In an interview with EMTV, Oil Search Chief Executive Officer, Peter Botten, outlined the importance of robust public-private partnerships in fighting PNG’s HIV epidemic.
Proper coordination with the Government, churches and NGO’s through the Oil Search Health Foundation will see a collaborative effort in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
In 2011, over 3,500 new HIV positive cases were reported, bringing the cumulative amount to just over 35,500 in PNG, since 1987. This marks the HIV affected at 0.7 % of the overall country’s population.
With this in mind, Oil Search has seen the importance of prevention, treatment and containment of the disease.
The public-private partnership is an effective concept that has, and can, achieve better health service delivery.
For this reason, Oil Search will not be working alone, but will jointly coordinate with all relevant stakeholders, to execute its health programs.
With the PNG LNG project set to commercialize the country’s gas resources, the economy is bound for unprecedented growth.
Mr Botten emphasized that more must be done by the private sector to give back to the wider PNG community.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MfHfwMoqFPA%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0