HIV/AIDS In Central Kalimantan Reaches 2,400 Cases, Most In Palangka Raya City

Secretary of the Central Kalimantan Provincial KPA Saidah Suryani. (ANTARA/Rendhik Andika)

PALANGKA RAYA - Central Kalimantan Province's HIV/AIDS (KPA) Management Commission recorded cases of spread reaching 2,400 according to data December 2023. "The latest data in December last year, the number of HIV/AIDS in Central Kalimantan reached 2,400 cases, of which more than 50 percent of these cases occurred due to the behavior of male NGOs or sex men," said Secretary of KPA Central Kalimantan Province Saidah Suryani in Palangka Raya, Wednesday. He explained, the average case of HIV/AIDS spread in Central Kalimantan is dominated by productive age between 16 and 34 years with various backgrounds. "This means that this case not only affects the age of workers, but also touches the age of students and students," he said. Of all HIV/AIDS incidents in Central Kalimantan, cases of the spread of the virus, which was mainly spread through deviant sex, mostly occurred in Palangka Raya City. "However, this is not only infected with natives but also cases from migrants," Saidah said when met on the sidelines of the event at the FGD Hajj preparation event at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion in Central Kalimantan. He also asked religious leaders, community leaders, traditional leaders and health practitioners and other elements to combine to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. For example, religious leaders and community leaders increase the practice of the values and norms and culture of the nation who never teach deviant sex behavior. Then health practitioners educate people with HIV/AIDS or the community in general regarding the negative impact and the threat of spreading the disease to health. Families and the public must also be sensitive to the environment, so as to detect the potential for the spread of HIV/AIDS. "We must also ensure that people with HIV/AIDS also have the same rights as the general public. What must be avoided is the disease, not the person," said Saidah. Generally HIV/AIDS are transmitted through blood, have sex, pass through the syringe and can pass through the wound. So the main effort that needs to be done to prevent the spread of this virus includes not having sexual intercourse before marriage and being loyal to your partner.

Then also use condoms or safety equipment when having sex with a partner who is at risk, does not take drugs, and obtains education / knowledge about HIV and AIDS from the right person. "The role of the community is also very important to participate in the prevention and control of HIV-AIDS so that the transmission of this virus can be suppressed and able to improve ODHA's quality of life," he said.