(September 29, 2009) --

“Igo Bek Gut Long Peles Bilong Yu.Lukim Yu Long Sampla Taim Biain” they cried out. There are some experiences in life we cherish and others we never forget.This is a story of both.I recently had the pleasure of facilitating a FACSCount training session at a hospital in a small North Western province of PNG called Tabubil.A very secluded township with a population burdened by the weight of its own poverty and the threat of yet a greater unseen enemy, HIV AIDS.My mission was simple and straightforward. Provide training for a number of key staff in Tabubil Hospital on the use of a BD FACSCountTM System to monitor the immune status of patients infected with HIV, an initiative made possible by Tabubil’s key stakeholder, OK TEDI Mines Ltd. There is only one way in [or out] of Tabubil - by air.OK TEDI charter flight NC601 from Brisbane was a relatively uneventful flight, made more exciting by the opportunity to join the Captain up front for the landing, snaking our way through the valley skirting around clouds until the runway was in sight.No fancy ILS (instrument landing system) here, everything is first principles, aka, flying by the seat of your pants.Once in the Puapakai Domestic Terminal (more like a tuck shop without the ice-cream) the Custom’s officer looked at me with inquisitive eyes and asked “Sir what is in here?” pointing to the carefully packaged box of FACSCount reagents which I had adorned with fluorescent ‘FRAGILE’ tape.“Tubes”, I replied - “tubes for the Hospital”. He allowed me to pass on thru where I was met by my contact, Peter Bulungol, for transfer to Tabubil Hospital to set up and test the instrument. Training began the following morning and 2 ½ days later Peter and 3 other OK TEDI staff (Maureen, Bap and Sandra) had successfully completed their training and were rewarded with Certificates of Achievement, for which they were delighted and relieved.During this time we had tested and retested many patient blood samples in the effort to validate their immune and HIV status, however the most surprising and rewarding moment was to learn that the data we had generated during training was sufficiently robust as to allow the treating physician to commence antiretroviral therapies (ART) on patients who had only up until that point, been diagnosed on the basis of clinical indicators rather than their immune status.So, this is what it means to “Help All People Live Healthy Lives” I thought.We may not be able to change the World, but helping to change the outcome of one small community, may just be enough. So, on my departure and as I looked back down onto the township below receding into ever smaller circles, the clouds rolled in once more, and suddenly… they were gone. And, just as this article had begun - their parting words still echo “Goodbye and safe flight…Hope to see you again soon”.Absolutely. Robert Sleiman BD Biosciences