Bloggers invited to help increase awareness this World AIDS Day

In the lead up to World AIDS Day on 1 December, active bloggers in Indonesia are being invited to help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS through a dynamic online competition.

Themed “HIV and Youth”, this competition is now calling for young Indonesian bloggers to write about their own experiences or opinions on HIV/AIDS.

“Indonesia has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in South East Asia. We need to do all we can to raise awareness of this disease,” said the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr. Greg Moriarty.

This competition is expected to tap into Indonesia’s thriving social media scene - 38 million Facebook users and over 3.2 million bloggers - exposing Indonesia’s browsing community to inspiring and easy to read information about the disease.

This competition is being held by the Australian Government aid program, AusAID, in partnership with one of Indonesia’s leading news sites Viva News.

The winning blog entries will be announced on 20 December, with the top three authors awarded fantastic prizes including a MacBook air, camera and Smartphone.

“This blogging competition is one of many strategies being undertaken by AusAID in Indonesia to inform people of ways to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS, and provide assistance to those living with the virus,” added the Ambassador.

Bloggers can register for this competition by visiting www.vivanews.com/aids_govlog Submissions are due by 30 November.

In 2010, Australia’s $100 million Partnership for HIV provided services to 50,000 prisoners, helped 26,000 injecting drug users access clean needles, methadone maintenance programs and harm reduction services and improved access to medicines for people living with HIV.

Media inquiries:
Mia Salim, Public Affairs, AusAID Indonesia, 08121070237