THE man who dared to use the Tok Pisin word ‘koap’ to describe sex during the first-ever television campaign against HIV/AIDS many years ago, causing an uproar among members of the society, got his jab against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Dr Clement Malau was the founding Director of the National AIDS Council Secretariat when he did the advertisement in the 1990s. His family was ostracised about it but he has no regrets. He describes it as a sacrifice that needed to be made to save lives. In a society that regarded sex as a taboo subject at the time, this advertisement was seen as crude. However, it paved the way for deeper and more honest discussions to be held in public on sex in order to stop the fast-spreading virus called HIV. There were many rippling effects from it. Skeptics too begun to accept that HIV was real. Over the years, the all-out-war against HIV/AIDS in PNG became a success story.
On Wednesday, Dr Malau eceived his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Rita Flynn COVID-19 facility, saying a similar stance has to be made about COVID-19 – give clear, correct information and let the people make an informed decision.
“It is important that I come. There’s a lot of talk on the Facebook and on the streets. I believe it is my work as a public health professional to make it clear that there is no problem with the vaccine. We must learn lessons from other parts of the world and not just be fearful. There are experiences in other parts of the world like in the US where they are slowly returning to normal,’’ he said.
Israel has currently the highest vaccination coverage of 60 per cent of its population and is already seeing the benefits of the vaccination rollout. The infection rate of COVID-19 has dropped, resulting in people feeling confident to begin to take up again normal activities; its government is relaxing restrictions. It begun the vaccination rollout in December 2020 – just six months ago. United States has the most fastest vaccination program underway with an aim to vaccinate 80 per cent of its population by July and it is already seeing a reduction in infections.
Currently, working as the East Sepik Provincial Administrator, Dr Malau is 64 years old, so he says he is in the vulnerable group and has to get vaccinated and encouraged health workers and other frontliners to do the same.
Dr Malau says good diet helps and encouraged the people to eat fruits and vegetables, including those that contain Vitamin C and Vitamin D which help boost the immune system to fight off respiratory infections. Vitamin D, he says, is abundant in PNG because it is in sunlight.
“So we have all these things to use. In addition, you have the vaccine. It’s for people like me – the old age and the frontliners. Health workers need to get vaccinated to protect themselves and protect others as well. It’s so important.
“We learn a lot of things in basic science. I’ve been asking myself. Am I already immune? But evidence is quite clear in other parts of the world. We need to follow what trends there are. At the same time, we need a strategy in PNG that is specific as well. We need to have clear guidelines so that people are not fearful about getting the virus and at the same time getting vaccinated. That’s why I volunteered to get vaccinated so that everyone will know that you do not have to be fearful about getting vaccinated,’’ said Dr Malau.
Dr Malau is based in Wewak, East Sepik Province, but he got vaccinated while in Port Moresby to follow up on his request to the National Executive Council to speed up the retirement process on his case due to sickness.
It took him less than 20 minutes to be vaccinated. After getting one shot in the arm, he had to go to the next table to be marked off the tally and then he took a seat for 15 minutes for observation in case he developed any problems before being released. He had no complaints at the time of being released. He was also given a card for his next visit for the second dose. This will be 12 weeks later which will be on the 14th of July, 2021.
As of 12pm on Wednesday, Dr Malau was among more than 2,000 people to be vaccinated since the rollout was launched last Thursday by the NCD Governor Powes Parkop.
According to the National Department of Health’s National Distribution Plan for the rollout of the 132,000 of AstraZeneca, NCD was given 4,000 doses so half of that has been used up. The Sister-in-charge of the Vaccination rollout Susan Nalu said about 300 people are vaccinated everyday, the largest was 600 which was on Friday. Her staff worked until 6pm.
Apart from the vaccinators and volunteers that are helping with registration and taking tallies of people being vaccinated, there is a medical team on standby to attend to people who may experience Adverse Effect Following Immunisation (AEFI). So far, she says, the majority have complained of similar side effects as other vaccines which are – a pain on the arm where the injection was given and 1-2 days of feeling feverish. A man had also complained of a rash on his leg, but this was also common and he got treated and he is doing fine.
Dr Malau is a long-time public health professional. Straight after graduation from School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea in 1980, he got his first job with the PNG Defence Force Medical Services. He then moved to head the communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS at the National Department of Health before heading to the US to do his masters in public health.
Over the years, he also worked in East Timor with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Burnett Institute, Monash University in Australia, Divine Word University and now the East Sepik Provincial Administration. He also worked with WHO in Fiji after he served as Secretary for the National Department of Health for a term.
If Dr Malau, a very well-experienced and knowledgeable man, can get vaccinated, you too can make a similar decision. Do it for yourself, your family and others you come in contact with.