Since 2014, the total number of sick people has reached 346 people
BATU – This should be a serious concern for residents of Batu City. The reason is that the HIV/AIDS rate in this resort town is still quite high. In 2022 there will be another 45 new HIV cases. While this year there have been five cases of death caused by HIV disease.
Batu City Health Bureau (Dinkes) noted that as of December 15, 2022, out of 45 new people living with HIV/AIDS (ODHA). Of these, 33 sufferers are residents of Batu City. While another 12 are residents outside the tourist area of the city. When added together, the number of PLWHAs in Batu City from 2014 to this year was 346 people.
Of that number, there have been five sufferers who have died this year. “PLHIV’s cause of death is due to complications with tuberculosis (TB). So most of the reasons why they died were other diseases as well,” explained Batu City Health Bureau Chief Drg Kartika Trisullandari. He reported that the age dominance of PLHIV is between 25 and 49 years. This is enough to explain that the productive age group dominates.
“The trend of increasing cases is in housewives and men who have sex with men (MSM),” she said. So far, the Batu City Health Bureau has taken three measures to minimize the transmission of HIV/AIDS. That is to say with promotional, preventive activities, as well as improvement of the structures and the quality of services. Promotional activities take the form of awareness raising, distribution of leaflets and dissemination of information on HIV/AIDS to the public. These activities are aimed primarily at teenagers.
Because adolescence is an important period in the formation of ways of thinking and behavior. “Preventive activities are in the form of key population screening. Such as pregnant women, tuberculosis patients, sexually transmitted infection (STI) patients, prostitutes, transgender people and drug users,” added Kartika. Preventive efforts are also being made by implementing a continuous comprehensive service system (LKB).
Where HIV/AIDS tested patients who are found positive will proceed to treatment, counseling and moral support. “We are also trying to improve the service system,” she said. She also revealed that HIV stigma and discrimination in Batu City is still high. This causes difficulties in finding new cases and complex social problems. “Starting from the social exclusion of PLWHAs and their families, up to the personal problems of PLWHAs themselves. For example, it concerns work or home,” said Kartika.
To overcome this, his party continues to conduct education and community engagement. That PLWHA also has the same rights as other people. “By removing the stigma of discrimination against PLHIV, there will be good community support for sufferers and their families,” she concluded. (adk/lid)
