Ministry Of Health: HIV / AIDS Should Not Be Free From Attention Despite The COVID-19 Pandemic

Illustration (Irwansyah Putra / Antara)

JAKARTA - During the commemoration of World AIDS Day, officials from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) emphasized that efforts to deal with HIV / AIDS must not go unnoticed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the midst of the current pandemic condition, the issue of HIV / AIDS must not go unnoticed," said Director of Prevention and Control of Direct Contagious Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, as quoted in the ministry's press release in Jakarta. , 1 December.

In accordance with the Minister of Health Regulation No.4 of 2019 concerning Technical Standards for Fulfilling Basic Service Quality in the Health Sector Minimum Service Standards, he argued, increasing promotional and preventive efforts were prioritized in the response to HIV / AIDS.

He also emphasized the importance of education on reproductive health and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (PIMS) in the effort to combat HIV / AIDS.

Chairperson of the College Advisory Team for the Indonesian Dermatovenereologist Association (Perdoski) Prof. dr. Sjaiful Fahmi Daili stated that early reproductive health education is an important part of preventing the transmission of the immune-destroying virus that causes AIDS.

"Sexual education must include moral, social, health and religious aspects, in which doctors will play a role in providing treatment and the government designs programs and regulations," he said.

He added that reproductive health education should start from the smallest unit in society, namely the family.

According to data from the Ministry of Health regarding HIV / AIDS and PIMS transmission in the second quarter of 2020, the number of people living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) is estimated to reach 543,100 people and 398,784 of them have been found. Among people living with HIV / AIDS who were found, only 205,945 were taking antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).