MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce that the Australian Government will contribute a further $8 million dollars to assist Indonesia to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.
This latest contribution will expand the Indonesia HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project and fund the appointment of a full-time Australian HIV/AIDS Coordinator based in Jakarta. It brings the total support to current projects addressing HIV/AIDS in Indonesia delivered by the Government's aid agency, AusAID, to $38 million.
It is critical that we make a strong and coordinated effort now in Indonesia if we are to be successful in controlling the spread of HIV. In particular, is extremely important that we address the spread of the disease in Papua, where the number of people infected with HIV is predicted to climb at an alarming rate.
The Government of Indonesia estimates that between 90,000 and 140,000 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS. As surveillance is under-developed, the real figure could be considerably more.
This new Australian funding will be used to increase the capacity of Indonesian health care services to provide quality HIV related care and treatment and will support the Indonesian Government's goal of having 10,000 Indonesians on antiretroviral therapy by 2006.
To do this, intensive work is planned with selected provincial hospitals in Jakarta, South Sulawesi and Papua, some of which will become key referral centres for the delivery and promotion of quality HIV/AIDS care.
Funds will also enable a further expansion of community-level programs such as workplace prevention programs for men who buy sex, training for religious leaders on HIV/AIDS, organisational capacity-building for community based organisations involved in the response, HIV/AIDS training for journalists in provincial and district centres, a leadership summit for NGO leaders, training of community based organisations in condom social marketing, police advocacy meetings and workshops, and the establishment of prison HIV working groups nationally.
Australia is a one of the longest serving donors in the battle against HIV/AIDS in Indonesia having contributed $65 million since 1995.
Media contact:
Chris Kenny (Minister's Office) 0419 206 890
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590