Statement, Speeches, Press Coverage, Guidance Notes

CONTENTS

• PNG CHRISTIAN LEADERS Media Conference on HIV, October 2025 [web story]

• PNG CHRISTIAN LEADERS HIV Orientation Workshop, May 2026 [web story]

PNG CHRISTIAN LEADERS MEDIA CONFERENCE ON HIV, October 2025

HIS EMINENCE SIR JOHN CARDINAL RIBAT, MSC, DD, KBE
29 October 2025, Grand Papua Hotel

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Good morning to all our development partners, Christian Leaders and the Media Personnel for accepting our invitation to attend and participate in this small but very vital event. I want to recognize the presence of our representatives from the community of People living with HIV attached with I Gat Hope, National AIDS Council Secretariat, National Department of Health, UNAIDS, Australian High Commission DFAT & PATH Program, Department of ICT, Department of Agriculture, Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, National Development Bank, PNG Media Council, Christian Leaders representing the Para-Churches, Pentecostal Churches, Evangelical Alliance Churches and the Seven Mainline Churches. I welcome you all to the PNG Christian Leaders Media Conference on HIV 2025.

The declaration of HIV as a crisis in PNG in June 2025 really questions the collective efforts of all organizations engaged in addressing STIs and HIV in the country. It really saddens me and the Heads of Churches to hear that HIV now is a crisis in the country. It really challenges our efforts and actions as Christian leaders in our mission as Shepherds and Gate Keepers. Are we doing enough in terms of promoting health seeking behavior by encouraging our congregation members to go for regular health checks and to consider early HIV blood test? What went wrong with our HIV response activities? Why are new HIV infections increasing in the country from 18 people infected per day to 30 people between 2021 and 2024? Where is our focus in preventing new HIV infections? Are we doing enough to prevent new HIV infections? The declaration of HIV as a crisis in PNG indicates and informs us that we are not doing better in terms of preventing new STI and HIV infections despite our consistency in providing STI & HIV services in the country.

The Bold Statement of the Heads of Churches in the face of the declared HIV crisis is that; “whilst we continue to increase HIV awareness and education on STI & HIV testing as a point of prevention we should equally invest time and resources in addressing the root causes and the underlying contributing factors that continues to fuel HIV transmission in Papua New Guinea”

If we cannot invest time and resources and create programs directed towards addressing poverty, unemployment, abuse of internet and social media, gender based violence, stigma and discrimination, violation of human rights for key vulnerable populations and lack of moral and Christian values how can we expect to prevent new HIV infections in the short, medium and long term.

All our focus, attention, time and resources I feel are directed towards increasing awareness on HIV prevention and testing and for the current HIV crisis situation we will for sure continue to apply that strategy but what about investing time and resources to address the situations that makes people vulnerable and puts them at high risk of contracting STIs & HIV.

The PNG Christian Leaders HIV Strategy 2026-2030 enables Heads of Churches to provide the spiritual leadership and guidance in taking stock of their STI & HIV facilities in the country and to collectively identify which facilities needs support to improve services and expand and if there is possibility to establish new STI & HIV facilities within HIV high burden provinces based on clear needs assessments. The strategy will also mobilize Heads of Churches to provide the spiritual leadership through conducting of workshops to address moral and Christian values educations within the church school institutions, seminaries, department of education and also provide spiritual leadership in establishing programs that focus on addressing poverty and unemployment in Papua New Guinea. By 2023 Churches should have increased number of Clinics providing STI & HIV service in strategic location in the country with increased number of testing, by 2030 school students and seminarians graduate with knowledge on the importance of moral and Christian values to enable them make wise choices and decisions and impart the knowledge to others, and by 2030 churches should have established Integrated SME Trainings with Grant funding to support key vulnerable population in a number of provinces in the country creating opportunities for employment, income and alleviation of poverty.

Without the support of our loyal development partners we would have not managed some of our Churches Health & HIV programs and projects. I want to highly acknowledge Australian High Commission through the DFAT/PATH Program for supporting us to host this Media Conference and for the continued strategic assistance to support Churches HIV & Health Programs, UNAIDS, Office of High Commission of Human Rights, NACS, NDoH, the Heads of Churches who are members of this churches alliance, our other development partners and most importantly our Media Personnel and the Media Agencies who continue to share our stories.

To conclude on behalf of the churches we convey our special acknowledgment to the Government of PNG for taking the ownership in terms of making budget allocation for the purchase of antiretroviral drugs to help sustain the health of our People living with HIV in the country which is very important in terms of prolonging the life expectancy of the country’s human resource.

Let’s all stand together united in our strategies to resolve the HIV crisis, listening and learning from each other with love and supporting each other. The HIV crisis is bringing us together so that we can stand as a strong team and together we can be able to prevent new STIs & HIV infections by 2030 and beyond.

Thank you and may God bless you all

+ Sir John Cardinal Ribat, MSC, DD, KBE
Chairman, PNG Christian Leaders Alliance on HIV & AIDS Secretariat

Cardinal Ribat calls churches to act as one team in PNG’s HIV response
PNG CHRISTIAN LEADERS HIV Orientation Workshop, May 2026

HIS EMINENCE SIR JOHN CARDINAL RIBAT, MSC, DD, KBE
20 May 20265, Catholic Archdiocese

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

His Eminence Cardinal John Ribat, Chair of the Papua New Guinea Christian Leaders Alliance, has called on churches to step forward as active partners in Papua New Guinea’s HIV response, urging faith leaders to use their facilities, networks, and moral voice to support communities with compassion, confidentiality, and practical services.

Speaking at the PNGCLA Workshop on HIV Response held on 20 May 2026 at the Catholic Archdiocese in Port Moresby, Cardinal Ribat said churches have both the responsibility and the reach to help people understand HIV, access counselling, protect confidentiality, and link those in need to testing, treatment, and care.

The workshop brought together church leaders, the National AIDS Council, UNAIDS, KPAC, Catholic Church Health Services, and other partners to discuss how churches can respond to the renewed urgency around HIV in Papua New Guinea. The discussions focused on counselling, church health facilities, confidentiality, community mobilisation, testing, treatment linkage, and the role of faith-based networks in reaching people at community level.

Cardinal Ribat emphasised that churches are not starting from zero. Across the country, many churches already have health facilities, trusted leaders, congregations, schools, women’s ministries, youth groups, and community structures that can be mobilised to support the national HIV response.

“Many of us have facilities that we could use for this work,” Cardinal Ribat said. “For us, this is our responsibility. We have the people.”

He said the response must begin with practical readiness. Churches, he noted, need to identify existing facilities, assess whether counselling and HIV-related services are still functioning, and determine what support is needed to make these services more effective. He also highlighted the importance of preparing church workers and community leaders to respond sensitively to people affected by HIV.

“We need to prepare well, raise awareness, and make sure that our people can be supported properly,” he said.

A key concern raised by Cardinal Ribat was confidentiality. He said churches must be ready to support people who are dealing with deeply sensitive issues involving HIV status, marriage, family relationships, trust, and stigma. Without confidentiality, he warned, people may be afraid to seek help or speak honestly about their situation.

“Confidentiality is very important for our people,” he said.

Cardinal Ribat welcomed the presence and leadership of the National AIDS Council and called for stronger partnership between churches, government, community-led organisations, and development partners. He said the workshop marked an important moment for churches and national partners to move together rather than working separately.

“The aim is to get us all together and working in partnership,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of a united church voice. According to Cardinal Ribat, HIV messages must not remain only in Port Moresby or within formal meetings. They must reach church stations, villages, settlements, families, congregations, and communities across the country.

“There should be one voice in what we are doing here in town and out to our stations and our people,” he said. “This is the moment when we have come out to speak.”

Cardinal Ribat warned against the belief that HIV had disappeared or was no longer a serious concern. He said the virus remains a continuing reality in Papua New Guinea and requires a response grounded in unity, seriousness, and compassion.

“Some people may have thought that HIV and AIDS had gone. But as long as we live, this virus will not simply disappear,” he said.

He described the churches as part of a wider national team that can help protect communities, reduce stigma, promote testing, encourage treatment, and support people living with and affected by HIV.

“We are not just one voice. We are now a team,” Cardinal Ribat said. “We work together to ensure that our nation is well protected and our communities are well aware.”

The workshop concluded with a strong message that Papua New Guinea’s HIV response will be stronger when churches, communities, government, and partners move together with one voice and one shared responsibility. For Cardinal Ribat, the role of churches is clear: to speak, to organise, to serve, and to stand with people and families affected by HIV.

Quotes from the Cardinal

“Many of us have facilities that we could use for this work.”

“We need to prepare well, raise awareness, and make sure that our people can be supported properly.”

“Confidentiality is very important for our people.”

“For us, this is our responsibility. We have the people.”

“The aim is to get us all together and working in partnership.”

“There should be one voice in what we are doing here in town and out to our stations and our people.”

“This is the moment when we have come out to speak.”

“Some people may have thought that HIV and AIDS had gone. But as long as we live, this virus will not simply disappear.”

“We are not just one voice. We are now a team.”

“We work together to ensure that our nation is well protected and our communities are well aware.”

Social Media

20 May 2026 | Port Moresby — At the PNGCLA Workshop on HIV Response held at the Catholic Archdiocese, Cardinal John Ribat called on churches to use their facilities, people, and trusted community networks to support PNG’s HIV response with compassion, confidentiality, and practical action. His message was clear: churches and national partners must move together as one team.