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Indonesia’s National AIDS Commission
reported that efforts to increase HIV awareness among residents of Tanah
Papua—Papua and West Papua provinces—were making slow progress. HIV prevalence
in Tanah Papua was 2.4 percent (30,000 people) compared to the national average
of 0.3 percent in 2012, according to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS. HIV
incidence has increased annually in Tanah Papua since 2005; West Papua reported
535 new cases in 2012, and Papua reported 3,028 new cases.
Since HIV is more prevalent among
Tanah Papua residents ages 15–24 (3 percent), government and nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) have introduced a variety of HIV education efforts. The
Papua provincial government partnered with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to
incorporate HIV education into Papua provincial schools through curriculum
development, teacher training, and HIV policy support. Although some teachers
remained reluctant to talk about sexual transmission of HIV, 876 primary and
secondary teachers have received the training. UNICEF planned to extend
training to teachers in rural areas of West Papua and Papua. However, more than
a third (38 percent) of children ages 7–15 in these provinces do not attend
school. Youth and Protestant church clubs have provided an alternate venue.
In addition, many remote villages do
not have mobile phone contact. The Indonesian government has set up units in
Tanah Papua to accelerate infrastructure development and has established local
commissions to raise awareness in 19 of 29 Papua districts and all of West
Papua’s districts. In partnership with Caritas Australia, a local NGO in
Papua’s Merauke district has broadcast HIV education messages through radio
programs and concerts. As recently as 2005, HIV-infected people in Merauke were
“shunned” by their families, but more people now are more accepting and more
willing to be tested for HIV. Current HIV prevention messages feature young
people instead of politicians.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
