$100 Million Australia-Indonesia Partnership to Combat HIV

Australia will establish an A$100 million (Rp 800 billion) partnership to strengthen the response to HIV in Indonesia.

The aim of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for HIV is to prevent and limit the spread of HIV, to improve the quality of life for people living with the virus and to alleviate its socio-economic impacts in Indonesia.

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Bill Farmer, said Australia had been a lead partner for Indonesia in the fight to combat HIV for over a decade.

“The new partnership builds on Australia’s current assistance and our successful program to date,” Mr Farmer said.

“The prevalence of HIV in Indonesia is, however, on the rise and poses a serious threat to Indonesia’s human and economic development. Now is the time for further action to address the issue and we are committed to working with Indonesia in a common endeavour,” the Ambassador said.

Australia’s assistance to date has made a number of important contributions in the fight against HIV in Indonesia, including the introduction of the first prison methadone treatment program in an Asian country. This treatment program is now being replicated in 95 prisons across Indonesia.

Other aspects of the new partnership will support Indonesia to prevent the spread of HIV, and to treat and care for those living with HIV/AIDS. It will also support leadership to address the stigma associated with AIDS.

Australia will work with government agencies, including provincial governments in Papua and West Papua, to help them to lead, manage and fund the HIV response.

The new A$100 million Partnership forms part of Australia’s A$1 billion (Rp 8 trillion) commitment to fighting HIV/AIDs across the Asia Pacific region in the decade up to 2010 – announced by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer at last week’s Regional Ministerial Meeting in Sydney.

Further information:
John Williams, Counsellor (Public Affairs) – (021) 2550 5290, 0812 105 3989