Pamekasan Regency Government Intensifies HIV/AIDS Screening and Education

The Pamekasan Regency Government in East Java is continuing to strengthen efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in its region. The strategic measures include routine health screening and increasing public understanding through Communication, Information, and Education (KIE) programmes.

Head of the Pamekasan District Health Office, Saifudin, stated that preventive action and early detection are priorities given the continued discovery of dozens of new cases in Pamekasan. “This effort is important because, based on the data we have collected, dozens of people in Pamekasan have tested positive for HIV/AIDS,” Saifudin said in Pamekasan on Tuesday.

Based on reports from various community health centres in Pamekasan Regency, a total of 43 residents were confirmed positive for HIV/AIDS during the period from January to June 2026. From these findings, the Pamekasan Health Office has followed up with treatment. Saifudin detailed that 31 patients have undergone Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. However, 12 other individuals have not yet received this medical treatment. “The 12 people are not receiving treatment because they are unwilling. ARV treatment is not compulsory,” he explained.

The Health Office has also mapped several main factors triggering HIV/AIDS transmission in Pamekasan. These include promiscuous sexual behaviour, drug abuse through the sharing of needles, and same-sex relationships. Data shows that the majority of cases in Pamekasan Regency are dominated by the male group. The most affected age range is the productive age group, between 25 and 40 years old.

To break the chain of transmission, the Pamekasan Regency Government is committed to intensifying the KIE programme so that the public has high awareness of the dangers and methods of preventing this disease. Health screening will also continue to be expanded to ensure every case can be detected and handled as early as possible.