T

he Jakarta administration launched over the weekend a strategy to combat and eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2020, called the Jakarta Fast Track Ending the AIDS Epidemic.

The strategy is part of the worldwide target to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The head of the health control unit of the Jakarta Health Agency, Widyastuti, said that part of the strategy was to make HIV treatment closer and more accessible to residents through community health centers (Puskesmas).

'€œCurrently, there are a number of selected Puskesmas that can treat HIV patients with ARV [antiretroviral therapy]. The idea is to bring facilities closer to residents,'€ Widyastuti told reporters during the launch of the campaign at Taman Suropati in Central Jakarta over the weekend.

Eleven Puskesmas are able to independently treat HIV patients with ARV, a lifelong treatment that reduces the amount of HIV in one'€™s body and helps boost the immune system. While only 11 independent Puskesmas provide ARV treatment, Widyastuti said that all of the city'€™s Puskesmas provide counseling for residents regarding HIV/AIDS.

She said the city administration also had 17 other Puskesmas that serve as satellite clinics to general hospitals that provide ARV treatments with referrals from the hospitals.

'€œFurthermore, all of our Puskesmas provide counseling for residents who want to ask anything about HIV or AIDS. Residents can also check their HIV status at the 44 district Puskesmas in addition to the available hospitals,'€ she said.

The secretary of the Jakarta chapter of the AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA), Rohana Manggala, said that commemorating World HIV/AIDS Day on Dec. 1 was not just a mere ceremonial event, but meant to increase residents'€™ awareness and knowledge of the illness.

She added that it was highly important for Jakartans to understand HIV and AIDS, as Jakarta has thus far recorded the highest number of new cases of HIV this year.

Data issued by the Health Ministry revealed that there were 1,075 new cases of HIV infections in the capital as of March. West Java and East Java had the second and third highest number with 1,066 and 871 new HIV cases, respectively.

During the commemoration of World HIV/AIDS Day, the city administration will encourage residents to check their HIV status and starting on Sunday provided 10 booths where they can check their status for free for three days. Hundreds of residents have lined up to get their blood taken.

One visitor, 28-year-old Evan Maulana, said that he drove early in the morning from Kebayoran, South Jakarta, just to take the test. Evan, an ex-drug user, said that he felt obliged to check his HIV status because of his old habits.

He said that although he now had a '€œmuch cleaner'€ lifestyle compared with his younger days, there was still a possibility he had caught the virus while doing drugs.

'€œI understand how important it is to check my HIV status, especially for someone who used to be involved in drugs like myself,'€ Evan said.
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