Up to twenty pregnant women each month are testing positive for HIV at the antenatal clinic in Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby General Hospital.
The hospital's maternity nurse co-ordinator, Jennifer Pyakalyia, has told the Post Courier newspaper that screening indicates the HIV epidemic is getting worse.
She says mothers who test positive are counselled and treated with anti-retroviral drugs.
Sister Pyakalyia says efforts are made to protect babies from the virus but infants who are infected are also treated.
She says health workers need more support from the government to improve services on the busy labour ward.
