The Severe Struggle of HIV-AIDS Patients in the Pandemic Period
Dream – Data on the development of HIV-AIDS in Indonesia in 2020 states that there were 21,220 new HIV cases found. As many as 70 percent of new HIV cases experienced by people of childbearing age aged 25-49 years.
In the midst of a pandemic that is still troubling the world, people living with HIV-AIDS (PLWHA) are having difficulty accessing antiretroviral drugs (ARV).
According to a scientific article published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, restrictions on domestic travel regulations imposed by many countries have made many PLHIV who lose their jobs, are forced to return to their home areas of residence, and stop their ARV therapy.
The lockdown imposed in India also had an effect because the country stopped the supply of ARVs entering Indonesia. Even though the Ministry of Health gets some of the ARV stock from India.
If the scarcity of ARV is not treated immediately, it will result in around ten thousand PLWHA in danger of having to stop their ARV therapy.
Without ARV, PLWHA will be more susceptible to infection and disease disorders, one of which also includes COVID-19.
To prevent the spread of HIV in Indonesia, cooperation from all levels of society is needed to end this epidemic by 2030, and the realization of the ‘Three Zeroes’.
DKT Indonesia as the leading HIV-AIDS prevention and family planning organization in Indonesia which oversees the Silk, Fiesta, Supreme, and Mainstay Contraception brands continues to educate the public regarding the importance of sexual and reproductive health.
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