HIV/AIDS in Indonesian Papua

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is one of the most serious recent public health issues in Papua (and West Irian Jaya). Figure 1 illustrates that more cases of AIDS (1000 people) and AIDS fatalities (108 people) have been reported in Papua than any other province in Indonesia (except Jakarta), despite the fact that Papua (+Irjabar) has less than 1% of the nation's population. It is also important to note that there may be many unreported cases of AIDS in Papua, and HIV infection rates are typically significantly higher than recognised cases of AIDS. While a number of government and non-government agencies are now paying attention to HIV/AIDS in Indonesia, the problem demands greater resources and immediate action. There has been a dramatic increase in reported cases of AIDS in Papua (from 15 reported cases of AIDS in 1996 to more than 1170 AIDS cases by June 2005).