Dinkes Batam Expands HIV Screening, Targets to Reach More than 16 Thousand People by 2026

Head of the Batam Health Office, Didi Kusmarjadi. ANTARA/Amandine Nadja

Batam City Government through the Health Office (Dinkes) continues to strengthen early detection efforts for HIV/AIDS by expanding screening services throughout 2026. This step is taken to increase the coverage of examinations as well as accelerate treatment for people who are detected positive for HIV.

Head of the Batam City Health Office, Didi Kusmarjadi, said this year his party targeted as many as 16,839 people to undergo HIV screening. Until May 2026, examinations have been carried out on 6,144 people or about 36 percent of the target.

"We continue to expand the scope of screening so that the target that has been set can be achieved by the end of the year. Based on data as of May, it is still at 36 percent of the target," said Didi when contacted in Batam, Sunday.

He explained that this achievement will continue to be improved considering that in the period 2022 to 2025 Batam City has always been able to meet the HIV screening target of up to 100 percent.

Batam Health Office data shows that in 2024 as many as 15,060 people underwent HIV screening with 822 positive cases. Meanwhile, in 2025 the number of examinations increased to 15,868 people, while the number of positive cases found was recorded as 671 people.

According to Didi, efforts to find HIV cases are not only carried out through voluntary examinations at health facilities, but also through screening before surgical procedures and mobile screening services at a number of locations of concern.

"The implementation of screening still faces a number of challenges, such as the low awareness of key population groups to check themselves into health facilities," he added.

The key population groups include men who have sex with men (LSL), female sex workers (WPS), injecting drug users, transsexuals, tuberculosis (TB) patients, and other groups at high risk of contracting HIV.

"In addition, the spread of LSL groups in various locations makes it difficult for health workers to reach out and screen," he said.

He added that another challenge is that there are still a number of locations or hotspots that have not provided access to health workers to conduct HIV testing.

To support early detection, the Batam City Government has provided a variety of comprehensive HIV testing and treatment services.

"Currently, there are 32 Care Support Treatment (CST) services for people with HIV (ODHIV). There is also a Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) service available at 36 health facilities, consisting of 21 health centers, 13 hospitals, one prison clinic, and one prison clinic," he said.

In addition to HIV services, the health facility also provides sexual transmission infection (STI) services to support the integrated detection and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

"All of our health centers serve, regional hospitals, such as Embung Fatimah Hospital and Batam Enterprise Hospital (RSBP), and private hospitals such as Awal Bros, Santa Elisabeth and Harapan Bunda," he said.

Didi also said that Batam has a Methadone Treatment Maintenance (MMT) service at the Embung Fatimah Hospital for patients with narcotic dependence.

"Viral load testing services are available at the Budi Kemuliaan Hospital in Batam and the Embung Fatimah Hospital, as well as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) services at eight health centers and five hospitals for high-risk groups of HIV infection," he said.

He hopes that the public, especially those at high risk, will take advantage of the HIV screening services that are already available. According to him, early detection is an important step to prevent transmission and accelerate treatment for people living with HIV.