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by Bayu Angga Wijaya

FKM UNPRI COMMEMORATES WORLD AIDS DAY

Prevent the Spread of HIV/AIDS Without Discrimination Against PLWHA

Students of the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Prima Indonesia (FKM Unpri) campaigned for the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS without discrimination against sufferers or People with HIV/AIDS (ODHA). This was done in order to commemorate World AIDS Day which falls on December 1, 2014. Therefore, FKM Unpri students collected signatures supporting the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS without discrimination against sufferers, and held a Talk Show activity with the theme "Embracing People With HIV/AIDS To Get A Better Life Social Support" with resource person dr. Elfrida Saragih, in the hall of the Royal Prima Hospital Medan, Wednesday (3/12/2014).

The event was attended by the Head of Unpri Advisory Board dr. I Nyoman Ehrich Lister, M. Kes., AIFM., Head of BPH Unpri Dr. Tommy Leonard, S.H., MKn., Advisor to Unpri dr.Sofian Wijaya, M.H.A, Director of Royal Prima Hospital dr. Deli Theo, SpPK., MARS, Rector of Unpri Prof. dr. Djakobus Tarigan, AAI., DAAK., Vice Rector I Seno Aji, S.Pd., MEng., Prac., Dean of FKM Unpri Masrina Siagian, M.Si, students and alumni of FKM Unpri.

The Head of the Talk Show Committee, Muhammad Iqbal, said that the increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS was partly due to the lack of knowledge and accurate information about HIV/AIDS and the existence of discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA.

Because of the discriminatory attitudes of the community, said Muhammad Iqbal, the phenomenon of the spread of AIDS continues to occur. Therefore, they want to join hands with PLWHA, because what is avoided is the disease, not the person. "We need determination or joint commitment from the government, the younger generation, or the HIV/AIDS-conscious community to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS without discriminating against sufferers, because they are also human beings who need our support and affection. Let us embrace PLWHA to live better through noble relationships, so that there is no phenomenon of the continued spread of HIV/AIDS," he said.

Dean of FKM Unpri Masrina Siagian, M.Si said that this activity was carried out because basically many people assume that PLWHA are considered dangerous to people who are not PLWHA. Actually, what should be avoided is not the person, but the disease. "With that background, we created this event so that we, especially our students, increasingly understand that what should be avoided is not the person. Through this theme, we are actually supported to embrace HIV/AIDS sufferers so that they can get a better life with the support of all of us," he said.

With this event, he continued, there will be a lot of information and knowledge that can be obtained, so that actually PLWHA must be given the spirit to live this life, especially since until now there is no medicine that can cure HIV/AIDS.

Meanwhile, the resource person dr. Elfrida Saragih said, the spread of HIV/AIDS in North Sumatra was initially more through the use of narcotics with alternating needles, then through free sex. However, currently, the spread is more through free sex than through narcotics with needles.

Therefore, to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS is not to use narcotics and not to have free sex. "And PLWHA are not people we should avoid, because what we should avoid is the disease, not the person," he said.

Head of BPH Unpri Dr. Tommy Leonard, S.H., M.Kn, resource person dr. Elfrida Saragih together with Dean of FKM Unpri Masrina Siagian, M.Si, lecturers, students and alumni of FKM Unpri expressed their support in preventing the spread of HIV/ADS without discrimination against PLWHA.