Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The incidence of HIV/AIDS in Papua has become a general epidemic stage that requires immediate action to prevent the further spread of the disease into the wider community, according to the province's public health chief.
"The prevalence is already 2.4 percent, meaning that the virus no longer only infects high-risk groups, but has become widespread in the community," Papua Health Agency chief Joseph Rinta said in Jayapura earlier this week.
There have been 10,785 cases of HIV/AIDS recorded in Papua, although officials said the actual number of infections was closer to 24,000.
Most of those infected were in their productive age between 20 and 40 years. More than 116 babies were reported with HIV infections passed on by their infected mothers.
While distribution of free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS has reduced the rate of new HIV/AIDS infections, difficulties in adhering to the complex regimen required by the drugs meant that only 20 percent of patients were taking their medication correctly, he said.
Joseph said that proper ARV consumption could reduce the incidence of HIV infection through sexual intercourse by up to 98 percent. In Papua, 93 percent of new HIV cases result from sexual intercourse.
He attributed the problem to people's limited understanding of ARV medications and staffing problems at NGOs and the central government.
To ensure that more people living with HIV/AIDS adhered to their medication regimens, the provincial administration allocated money to buy 15 CD4 machines.
The machines are immune detection devices and will be distributed to hospitals in select regencies and municipalities in the region.
So far the administration only has two of the machines, which have been used to monitor the immune systems of people currently living with HIV/AIDS.
The government also plans to approach the family members of people living with HIV/AIDS to ensure they help their relatives adhere to medication schedules.
Robert Sihombing of the Jayapura Support Group, an NGO offering supervision of people with HIV/AIDS, agreed that a lack of understanding of ARV medication regimens could be attributed in part to poor supervision from counselors.
Other challenges, he said, included the popularity of easier "alternative" treatments, such as consuming red fruit, which have made some loathe to follow the ARV scheme. Others have refused to take ARV medications, saying they were afraid of side effects that often brought about other conditions, such as skin problems.
Sihombing called on the government to keep improving the ability of counselors and to broaden their experience by handling and supervising people with HIV/AIDS who are already consuming ARV medication.