Wamena Records 5.1 Thousand HIV Cases

Wamena, Papua (Antara Bali) - The commission for HIV/AIDS prevention in Jayawijaya, Papua, announced that there are at least 5.1 thousand prevalent cases recorded in Wamena sub-district, stated the commission's chairman, here on Tuesday.

Jayawijaya National AIDS Commission Prevention Chairman Gad Pyramids Tabuni noted that the current number of HIV/AIDS cases in the region has reached 5.1 thousand.

Gad pointed out that the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Jayawijaya have grown significantly, and the figure was obtained from all existing public service bodies such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including the community health centers and the integrated health centers.

"We continue to pursue steps to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Jayawijaya," he remarked.

"We have identified the cases through the Health Department Offices, and currently, we are trying to reduce that figure," Gad pointed out.

Gad also said that online media such as adult websites, which are difficult to control, have also contributed to the increasing number of cases in Wamena.

Gad added that the rapid growth of the online sex media has made it difficult for the prevention commission to detect the spread of the disease.

"We can only deal with those we are able to see in front of our very eyes such as street children, street sex workers, and sex workers in stalls," Gad noted.

Gad then invited all parties to work together to prevent and implement countermeasures to stop the spread of the deadly disease. (WDY)