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Nine regions in East Java get fund to cope with HIV/AIDS
The National AIDS Commission (KPAN) handed over Tuesday Rp 44
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The National AIDS Commission (KPAN) handed over Tuesday Rp 44.251 billion (US$4.25 million) from the Global Fund (GF) to East Java, Bali and South Sulawesi provinces, to boost the HIV/AIDS eradication drive.
KPAN secretary Nafsiah Mboi said she hoped stakeholders in the three provinces would use the fund wisely by finding a good solution to the critical problem.
"All stakeholders need to back each other to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, as the disease is currently spreading fast, infecting mostly teenagers or people in their productive age," she said at the fund handover.
She added Rp 21.116 billion would be dispersed for East Java, Rp 10.856 billion for Bali Rp 10.856 billion, and Rp 12.279 billion for South Sulawesi.
The grant was allocated to fund all activities and programs aimed at stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, which has killed 3,492 people across the country.
The fund for East Java will be disbursed the three municipalities of Kediri, Malang and Surabaya, and the six regencies of Banyuwangi, Blitar, Jember, Kediri, Mojokerto and Sidoarjo. The nine regions were chosen for their high HIV/AIDS infection rates.
East Java Deputy Governor Syaifullah Yusuf said at Tuesday's event, also attended by representatives from Bali and South Sulawesi, that East Java ranked second after Papua in the number of people with HIV/AIDS. The province previously ranked third nationally.
"This shows there is still much action needed to solve the problem," he said.
He added 11 percent of infections occurred through mother-to-child transmissions.
The East Java administration has allocated Rp 1.2 billion from its 2009 provincial budget to cope with the HIV/AIDS problem, up from last year's allocation of Rp 780 million.
Provincial health agency records show 2,737 people live with HIV/AIDS in 20 of 38 regions across East Java. Most are between 24 and 29 years old. To date, 592 people have been confirmed to have died from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses.
Health Ministry data shows there are 6,668 people living with HIV and 16,964 with AIDS across the country. About 8,600 of them are below the age of 18, and 3,492 have died.
Meanwhile, in Pekanbaru, the body of 23-year-old Sri Indrawati, who died of HIV/AIDS-related causes Monday, was left unclaimed at Arifin Achmad General Hospital.
Erwin Taslim, head of the hospital's morgue, said Sri's body had been at the morgue for the past two days, as there was no information on the whereabouts of her relatives.
He said Sri had been recorded as a resident of Simpang Perawang village in Minas district, Siak regency.
"We can provide a free ambulance to send the body home, but there's no clear address," he said.
Hospital spokeswoman Yussy Prasetya Ningsih said Sri had begun treatment 10 days earlier at the hospital's isolation room, and had undergone counseling at the voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) unit.
"She came here alone, with clinical symptoms of decreasing stamina. She received the free standard treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS," she said.
"Her body will be buried by the hospital if no relatives claim her body within three days of her death."
Yussy added the hospital had obtained burial clearance from the police, to prevent possible lawsuits in future, and the costs would be borne by the state..
