20 People In NTT Died Of HIV-AIDS During January-August 2022

ILLUSTRATION/PIXABAY

KUPANG - During the period from January to August 2022, 20 people died from HIV/AIDS in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, according to data from the Regional AIDS Commission.

"The cases of death due to HIV/AIDS are spread across 11 regencies with the highest number in Manggarai with six cases," said the Head of the Regional AIDS Commission of NTT Province, dr. Husein Pancratius was reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, September 15.

Apart from Manggarai, cases of death from HIV/AIDS occurred in Southwest Sumba (4 cases), Lembata (2 cases), and one each in Sikka, Alor, West Sumba, Ende, North Central Timor, Belu, East Sumba, and East Manggarai.

Husein hopes that this condition will receive serious attention from the local government and related stakeholders.

He stated that the STOP movement or Flash/Screening, Find, Treat, and Maintain needed to be done massively in order to tackle the transmission and reduce the death rate due to HIV/AIDS.

He also emphasized the importance of improving screening services to detect and treat HIV transmission at an early stage.

"It takes five to 10 years for HIV transmission to turn into AIDS, so when it can be detected early, it can be treated (early too)," he said.

Husein mengatakan edukasi mengenai HIV/AIDS terus digiatkan guna membangun kesadaran masyarakat untuk mencegah penularan HIV/AIDS.

"Yang paling penting adalah membangun kesadaran bersama akan bahaya penyakit sehingga bisa dicegah," katanya.

Menurut dia, Komisi Penanggulangan AIDS Daerah Provinsi NTT sudah membentuk komunitas warga peduli AIDS yang anggotanya ratusan orang untuk mendukung kampanye pencegahan penularan HIV/AIDS.

"Ratusan orang yang kami latih sebagai perpanjangan tangan untuk menanggulangi HIV/AIDS," katanya.