AIDS illustration – Jubi
Manokwari, Jubi – The number of HIV / AIDS cases in Manokwari, West Papua Province, continues to increase from year to year, said Program Manager Health Care Association of Manokwari Denny Nepa.
“Manokwari Department of Health recorded, from 2002 to 2015 the HIV-Aids cases continues to increase, between eight to164 cases per year,” said Denny in Manokwari on last week.
This year, HIV / AIDS cases in Manokwari reached 1,183 cases, an increase of 113 cases from last year’s 1,070 cases.
“Of the 1,183 cases, 628 cases of which have been positively identified as AIDS,” he said.
He further said this cases like an iceberg phenomenon with a number ratio of 1: 100, in which the cases have a tendency to pass the virus to 100 people.
“If the current number is1,183 cases, how many thousands of people who may have been infected, and it is they who have not been identified,” he said.
He also mentioned that until now the profession housewife is still ranked first from other professions with 325 cases where 179 of which are already suffering from AIDS, and the rest is HIV.
He added, this cases also are experienced by children under one year to 14 years. As many as 15 children infected, six of them living with HIV and the other nine are already infected with AIDS.
“23 children, aged one to four years old are living with HIV- Aids, 16 of whom are already infected with AIDS. While, eight children aged 5 to 14 years old have infected with AIDS,” he said.
This case is also experienced by a group of Civil Servants, members of the military and police, commercial sex workers (CSW), the private sector, labor, and student.
“There are 150 civil servants infected, seven military, eight police,154 commercial sex workers, 75 private employees, 70 workers, 37 students, 40 college students and other 317 cases,” said Denny.
“If all the people in Manokwari willing to check up, surely we will find how high incidence of HIV / AIDS in this region,” he said again. (*/ Tina)
