Reduction of HIV/AIDS Funding to Indonesia

Two days ago I read news on HIV/AIDS Funding to Indonesia. I think we all should take serious attention on fund reduction to fight HIV/AIDS because it will affect the program to reduce and prevent the spread HIV/AIDS infection among our people. Especially in Papua and West Papua, the spread of infections already enter general population. In this case, it is an obligation for all element of Papuan to fight HIV/AIDS.

Reference : Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

Global Challenges | International Donors Expected To Reduce HIV/AIDS Funding to Indonesia, Officials Say
[Mar 13, 2008]

International donors are expected to “drastically” reduce their contributions to HIV/AIDS programs in Indonesia in part because donors now consider the country to be a middle-income nation, Indonesian Welfare Minister Aburizal Barkie said Wednesday, Reuters reports. Foreign aid currently accounts for 70% of the funds for HIV/AIDS services in the country.

Australian Aid Package

God helping us in a mysterious way. Aid package from Australian Governement is an indirect help from God. The Foreign Minister Stephen Smith announced the renewed Australian aid package for Indonesia last week. The package, which will be spread out over three years, would mostly benefit resource-rich Papua, where more than 3,000 people from a total population of 2.5 million are infected with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Battle in Papua

One of the most critical problem in Papua is health, especially the the spread of HIV/AIDS to the population, particularly among prostitutes and their users. Special attention should be taken seriously as the disease has started to spread from prostitutes to housewives, raising fears of an African-style epidemic. Papua’s number of cases per 100,000 people is nearly 20 times the national average, according to a government study published in 2007.Health experts say the disease has been spreading rapidly due to several factors — high rates of promiscuity, rituals in some Papuan tribes where partner swapping takes place, poor education about AIDS and lack of condoms.

Here is the source of the news: ANTARA and Reuters