298 Thousand Indonesian Citizens Living with HIV/AIDS

World Health - Around 298 thousand Indonesian people, the majority of young people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Of this number means there are eight people got AIDS per 100,000 population.

"This is a serious threat," he said Agung Laksono Welfare when opening a National Condom Week (PKN) in 2009 in the auditorium of Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Monday (30/11) morning. Activities were also held in conjunction with the National AIDS Seminar in commemoration of World AIDS Day 2009.

Agung, who also serves as Chairman of the National AIDS Commission (KPA), National added, this time in Indonesia, almost no province that declared free of HIV and AIDS.

He said the five provinces with the highest number of AIDS patients that is 17.9 times the national average of Papua, Bali (5.3), Jakarta (3.8), Riau Islands (3.4), and West Kalimantan (2.2) . Indeed, HIV and AIDS in the predictions have been found in more than half the number of counties and cities in Indonesia.

Agung explained, when seen from the way it is transmitted, predominantly through heterosexual behavior, ie 49.7%. In addition, through injecting drug use (40.7%), and men having sex with men (3.4%).

In terms of age, continued Agung, most AIDS patients are 20-29 years age group which reached 49.57% of cases. After that, occupied by the 30-39 year age group as much as 29.84% of cases, and the age group 40-49 years, 8.71% cases.

"All elements of society must take action to prevent HIV and AIDS," asserted the former Chairman of the House of Representatives the period 2004-2009.
Court recognizes, the constraints in the HIV and AIDS namely inadequate coverage and effectiveness of programs to achieve universal target. Another obstacle, health care systems that have not been evenly distributed throughout the region.

According to Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, the HIV epidemic has been developing very rapidly throughout the world, including Indonesia. This case has resulted in the death of 25 million people and currently has more than 33 million people living with HIV.

Meanwhile, according to Health Ministry data, until September 2009, total reported AIDS cases reached 18 442 people. Of this amount, a total of 13 654 men, 4701 women, and another 87 are unknown.

WOMEN HIV AIDS INCREASED

On the same occasion, Secretary of the National AIDS Commission Nafsiah Mboi said, the number of Indonesian women infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) rose sharply.

"Not because they were prostitutes, but being married to men who get HIV. The community must know that the rate of AIDS is now very high. Religious education, sex and condom use should be prioritized, "said Nafsiah Mboi in the seminar 'Responsible Ways Condoms, Cheap and Easy to Prevent STDs and HIV."

Based on data from Ministry of Health in 2009, a total of 8.2 million men buy sex and 6.1 million women married to men infected with HIV.

"So you can imagine how big the possibility of spreading the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The most sorry for are the women who are HIV positive, but Unsurprisingly, not a prostitute or prostitutes. So this epidemic must be understood in depth, do not just give a bad stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS, "explained Mboi.

Mboi explained that the factors of HIV and AIDS prevention is the primary religious education. "That is why the Minister of Religious Affairs also become part of the members of the AIDS response," said Mboi.

Second is education and empowerment of adolescents to say no to drugs and free sex. Third is the outreach in the workplace with a focus on man and the last is the protection of women and girls, as well as the use of condoms.

"I have often scorned and maligned distribute condoms free sex for socializing, but we must be realistic, the figures on HIV/AIDS had become unstoppable," said Mboi.

"Condoms are an effective way to avoid HIV-AIDS," she exclaimed. "If our campaign to reach the target, then in 2010 there are 1.2 million people could be saved from AIDS," she said.[eurekaindonesia.org]