Dili, February 19, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Ministry of Health through the National Institute of HIV/AIDS Combant which was first launched with the theme, “Let’s jointly protect Timor-Leste from the problem of HIV virus transmission.” The launched was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino in Post Village of Bidau Village, on Tuesday.
Deputy Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino said that there are two issues such as education and health, an important pillar of the national development strategy plan as a key to developing social capital to bring Timor-Leste for a good future, because the state and country invested as principals for people as the center of development.
“The future of the country that will be good depends on our new generation, that is why before we have representing the ministry here to be a witness invested for people very important, health is which protect our lives and live healthy can produce a healthy mentality, positive thinking can contribute to healthy developments.” Said the Deputy Prime Minister.
He continued that if physically bad the mind is not safe and healthy causing emotional leaders, then managing an unhealthy country can cause conflict and make people unsafe if leaders do not have healthy thoughts.
“We see Israel which is a small country, but they are a strong country that is recognized in the international world, can make balance with other countries. Also see Singapore country that come out of Malasya just because that country has no value and they have no wealth, That is why they get out of Malasya, but they have two main points such as education and health” He said
He added that in Timor-Leste establishing INCSIDA can see prevention and treat for people who are sick with HIV/AIDS, but in a way that can be treated even though it still has no certainty because there are some drugs from doctors who can only stop the virus from being active, But a better way is prevention that is very important for people’s lives.
“Insida exists because HIV/AIDS is infected to a new generation that can damage this country in the future, because the most important thing is peope and wealth is only material, when we educate children and grandchildren to be smart, they are an important key for the good of the future,” he said
He asserted, INSCIDA created together with the Ministry of Health to create a HIV/AIDS prevention campaign not to be infected with others. When someone is affected, they must find ways to prevent this virus.
As a representative of the Ministry of Health’s Deputy, Merlinda de Conseição Barros said that so far the Ministry of Health recorded HIV/AIDS in Timor-Leste with a total of 2000 from the beginning of the enrollment for HIV/AIDS until now 2025.
“At present, our big problem is a community that does not get closer to accessing enough information about the importance of knowing our HIV/AIDS status, because we never know ourselves infected by HIV or not if we do not do health tests, because our lives are always at risk, there are wives and husbands there is a risk to get HIV/AIDS, because we never know our partner’s past life when we want to know we have to do a test to find out that we influence HIV/AIDS or not.” said representatives from the Deputy Ministry of Health
She continued, regarding this number to minimize so the Ministry of Health has politics through manners like this to spread information to the public can be closer to health personnel to do blood tests to detect correctly for people who affect HIV.
“Other work carried out by MS as an institution that sees health, how people do not get HIV/AIDS when someone to donate their blood, we test “screening or switch” to find out that the person does affect HIV/AIDS, so does not not giving blood to others in the hospital, there are always obligations that must do group tests including HIV/AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis are the Ministry of Health’s program.” Said representatives of the Deputy Ministry of Health
He added that when someone want to access the service there is requirement that must be done to find out that people who are infected with HIV/AIDS or not, this is the way the government does including pregnant women also have to do tests to find out exactly their health conditions.
“The number of people who conduct HIV/AIDS in Timor-Leste is very small, therefore asking everyone must be closer to the health center to do the test, because health is in our own hands, because the government treats this thinning as well as with insulting other.” She added
She asserted that when the community was not closer to the health center so they could not benefit from it, in other words indirectly, we gave the opportunity to be infected, because we did not know clearly our status to make free sexual relations, so the risk very high in Timor-Leste.
“Health people who will care for sick people also have a risk, for example injecting people and also beaten if in the prevention program I see this depletion is HIV or not, if my hand is injected with the wrong needle, it is also in the prevention program. Two pregnant women affect HIV so they have to consume drugs so that when the baby born will not be infected by HIV.” She said
She said, she wanted to send a message that HIV/AIDS also treats as other insults, doing all efforts and modalities of how this is not infected, including people who have HIV/AIDS can also form a family, the important thing is to take care to get medicines based on medical recommendations to load the virus in the blood a little and the test will not get HIV, so when married they have the right to get children.
On the other hand, the President of the National Institute of HIV/AIDS Combant, Daniel Marçal said that today holds the sensing information program as a prevention for HIV transmission in Timor-Leste, its function is to concentrate all people to prevent themselves from this virus.
“Talking about the HIV virus there are many factors that cause HIV/AIDS, today held activities to talk about what HIV was how to progress and when to prevent when someone had affected the HIV virus, how to do treatment, human trading contributes to HIV virus while doing Free sexual intercourse in several places.” Said President of the National Institute of HIV/AIDS Combant
He continued, the problem that contributed strongly to HIV is free sexual relations to reduce free sexual is necessary to prevent themselves and make legal regulations as other countries can close several ways to reduce this case.
“When we do not create strict laws, we who in the Timor-Leste people say that we are a believed country but do some behaviors that cannot tolerate, because many young people are affected by this virus, we make coordination paths with local authorities to resolve in order to reduce this virus because we in Timor-Leste only have 1 million people but do not know to prevent ca be as other countries.” He said
Further explain that it is better that in the future must share a lot of training to young people and communities in Timor-Leste to reduce making free sexual relations, because through making this free relationship can cause the HIV/AIDS virus to provide risks to others, so create peace and establishment to far from the HIV virus in this country.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano