Inundated by Out-of-Town Patients, Bali's HIV/AIDS Cases Enter Top 10 Nationally

Bali has recorded 2,000 new HIV/AIDS cases throughout 2025 and has entered the national top 10. However, the high figures are said not to stem solely from Bali residents. The Bali Health Office (Dinkes Bali) revealed that the surge in cases is influenced by the large number of patients from outside the region as well as foreign nationals receiving treatment on the Island of the Gods. Acting Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division (P2P) of Dinkes Bali, I Gusti Ayu Raka Susanti, explained that HIV data is calculated based on patients accessing treatment services in a particular area. “That is because HIV data consists of every HIV patient who accesses treatment, and in reality, there are indeed many patients from outside Bali Province,” said Raka on Tuesday (21/4/2026). According to Raka, patients from outside the area likely choose Bali to maintain the confidentiality of their health status. This also contributes to the high number of recorded cases. “So the 2,000 cases are indeed new case discoveries in 2025. Those are new cases, patients who access testing here,” she clarified. Additionally, a significant number of foreigners undergo HIV/AIDS testing and treatment in Bali. Around 31 percent of patients are recorded as coming from outside Bali or abroad. Raka added that every province has targets from the central government to reduce HIV/AIDS figures. However, field conditions show that cross-regional patient mobility remains high. “So we cannot conclude that Bali has high cases simply because there are many outsiders,” Raka emphasised.