Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Australia will provide free and unlimited supplies of an anti-fungal medication to help victims of the growing Aids menace in Papua New Guinea.
The company on Monday announced it had included PNG in its Diflucan Partnership - a program that supplies the medication to countries on the World Health Organisation's list of the world's 50 least developed nations.
PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare said HIV/Aids was spreading and Pfizer's commitment to provide Diflucan will complement the efforts of his government to fight the deadly disease.
"It's a big problem and we've taken it on ourselves to do everything possible," he said.
"Any assistance that we get is greatly appreciated."
An estimated one per cent or 69,000 people in PNG were HIV-positive.
The first shipment of Diflucan had already arrived in PNG at the cost of $80,000. The drugs will be distributed by the National Catholic HIV/Aids Office.
Associate Professor David Ellis of the University of Adelaide's School of Molecular and Bio-Medical Science said Diflucan was not an Aids medication but was used to treat infections.
Diflucan treats an infection of the lining of the brain which afflicts around 10% of AIDS patients and the infection of the oesophagus, which affects about 30% .
"Patients live longer and this greater enhances their quality of life," he said.
Pfizer Australia managing director John Young said the program was "without dollar commitments" and will run in PNG for as long as it was needed.
He said the Diflucan Partnership would also work hand-in-hand with health care organisations.
"It's a commitment not only to supply Diflucan but also to supply the education and training and ... the materials needed to inform patients on how to use it appropriately," Mr Young said.
"There is no one solution to the crisis of HIV/Aids... but by working together we can save many lives and improve the quality of life for many others which research continues around the world to find a cure."
