Discrimination against children with HIV / AIDS, evidence of "systemic failure": Advocates – National



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The Indonesia AIDS Coalition (IAC) has urged the government to create a special working unit to increase public awareness of HIV / AIDS following recent occurrences in Surakarta (Central Java) and Samosir Regency (Sumatra). North) of students living with HIV / AIDS. to attend school following complaints from parents of other students.

Earlier this month, in Surakarta, 14 students of Purwotomo Public Elementary School 74, identified as HIV-positive, were transferred to special schools following demonstrations by parents of students. Parents and guardians of other students reportedly told the school principal that they would transfer their children to another school if it allowed HIV-positive students to continue to attend school. The director of the school said that he felt that every child had the right to education. However, he stated that he had no choice and that he had been forced to transfer the students who were studying between the first and fourth year.

Read also: "We had no choice": a school in Surakarta expels students with HIV / AIDS

A similar case also occurred in the Samosir regency last October, in which three HIV-positive orphans were not allowed to attend Welipa Primary School and Nainggolan Public Elementary School by residents fearing to be HIV positive. infected with the virus. They were also threatened with exile from the regency. However, after mediation involving the school leadership, local community and regency administration, it has been suggested that children be schooled at home.

Read also: Residents tell HIV-positive orphans to leave Samosir

"This is very tragic and a systemic failure," said Aditya Wardhana, executive director of the Indonesia AIDS Coalition (IAC). The Jakarta Post Monday.

He said the government had provoked a "setback" by ending the National AIDS Commission (KPAN), which had representative offices all over the country and had been operating for more than 10 years, in 2017, as a result of the 2016 Presidential Regulation on the AIDS Prevention Commission, signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. AIDS control and prevention has since been managed by regional health agencies.

"Agencies treat HIV / AIDS only from a health point of view. However, this must involve other aspects, such as the social, economic and even psychological aspects of each person infected with the virus, "Aditya said.

He also added that it was difficult for health agencies to intervene in school decisions as this required coordination with local education agencies.

"The president should create a special interministerial work unit solely on this issue to prevent this form of discrimination against children with HIV / AIDS in schools," he said.

At the same time, the Commissioner of the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI), Jasra Putra, urged the mayors or regents concerned to find a solution to discrimination against children with HIV / AIDS because elementary and elementary schools were under their supervision.

"They need to instill in the school stakeholders, including teachers and principals, the same perception of this issue," he told the To post.

Jasra added that parents should also be aware of the problem so as not to intervene or provoke school management to expel students infected with the virus.

"This concern will persist if local governments do not help them understand," he said.

According to Jasra, the health of every student should be confirmed.

"By doing so, they can prevent HIV-positive children from being isolated from their friends," he added.

The director of elementary school development at the Ministry of Education and Culture, Khamim, stressed that every child should receive an education. Municipal health and education agencies across the country have run campaigns on HIV / AIDS prevention, but parents remain concerned about the contamination of their children by their friends with HIV / AIDS.

"Health agencies have informed parents that children will not pbad their viruses to their children, but parents wanted infected children to leave school," he said. To post. (Ads)

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