Some 570 Timorese people are infected with HIV, according to the latest data from the Health Ministry.
General-Secretary of the National Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS Daniel Marçal said the data from 2003 to March 2016 showed that the numbers were increasing.
He said the spread of HIV was linked to the fact that young Timorese men and women often had several sexual partners.
Of the 570 infected, 65 people had since died from AIDS as they had not sought medical treatment.
“Due to the stigma and discrimination, [when] some people test HIV-positive they are afraid and they hide it then they die from AIDS,” he said at an event to raise awareness among residents in Comoro suku in Dili.
He therefore encouraged anyone with symptoms or who suspects they may have been infected to visit a health facility for testing and treatment.
The data shows that HIV has now spread to all municipalities, with Dili, Bobonaro, Baucau, Suai, Oecusse and Ermera the most affected.
In regards to promoting the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV, he said the commission had found that although many people were using condoms, they were still becoming infected by the virus.
“Therefore we do not want to hold a campaign on condom [use], we will just focus on raising awareness to change people’s behavior,” he said.
He said the Commission had also launched an education campaign in various municipalities to raise awareness among communities and students about the virus and how to prevent it.
The government’s new policy emphasizes self-control, abstinence and fidelity rather than condom use.
However, Bairo-Pite Clinic’s Doctor in Charge Dan Murphy said the policy was not based on scientific evidence.
“When having sexual relations you must use condoms to control the risk of pregnancy and HIV, but I don’t recommend that people just have sex freely all the time,” he said.
He said one diligent student who could have been a potential future leader had recently tested HIV-positive at the clinic and could not be cured.
Meanwhile, President of the National Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS and Minister of Administration Dionisio Babo Soares said the government was giving maximum attention to the HIV prevention program and working to raise awareness.
He urged young people and their parents to be careful about who they are socializing with as this could lead to serious consequences compared to in the past.
Soares also expressed concerns about the high HIV infection rates in neighboring Indonesia. In Nusa Tenggara Timor (NTT), for example, more than 2000 cases have been registered.
Another factor also affecting transmission rates in Timor-Leste is the thriving illegal prostitution industry in the country.
He said it was the responsibility of police to investigate illegal activity and process cases according to the law.
Human immunodeficiency virus – or HIV – is a virus that damages a person’s immune system and is most commonly spread through unprotected sex or sharing contaminated needles or syringes. Left untreated for a long period, it can lead to AIDS and eventually death.
