Balikpapan City Health Office is strengthening prevention education to address high HIV transmission rates, positioning the East Kalimantan municipality second highest in the province for cumulative cases.
The disease burden in Balikpapan has exceeded 3,000 recorded diagnoses. Transmission vectors are shifting away from adult demographics, with infections increasingly identified among adolescents.
Alwiati stated that community understanding regarding human immunodeficiency virus prevention requires continuous improvement, noting that outreach encompasses healthy lifestyle behaviors and the avoidance of high-risk sexual practices.
"Sosialisasi perilaku hidup yang sehat seperti setia dengan pasangan, terus kami gencarkan," said Alwiati on Sunday, November 15, 2026.
- Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): Daily medication that suppresses the human immunodeficiency virus, reducing viral load to undetectable levels and preventing progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
- Screening Protocols: Diagnostic testing procedures used by public health clinics to detect antibodies or antigens early, enabling prompt therapeutic intervention.
East Kalimantan Provincial Health Office recorded 1,014 new human immunodeficiency virus diagnoses up to September 2026. “Kasus yang berkembang menjadi AIDS sebanyak 220 kasus dari 1.014 kasus. Serta dari data total HIV ditemukan kasus sifilis sekitar 606 kasus,” said Andi Muhammad Ishak Andi Muhammad Ishak.
Municipal health officials identified men who have sex with men as a primary demographic requiring targeted outreach, screening expansion, and early detection protocols.
At the municipal level, retention in care remains an urgent clinical challenge.
“Yang menjadi perhatian kami bukan hanya pasien yang sedang menjalani pengobatan, tetapi juga mereka yang sudah tidak terpantau. Ada sekitar 40 orang yang terputus pengobatannya. Awalnya mereka berobat, tetapi setelah itu tidak lagi terkontrol oleh Puskesmas,” said Ida Kurniati Head Ida Kurniati.
Ada sekitar 40 orang yang terputus pengobatannya. Awalnya mereka berobat, tetapi setelah itu tidak lagi terkontrol oleh Puskesmas," said Ida on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Ida said that health workers conduct screenings in areas identified as human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pockets, directing anyone who tests positive to receive ongoing treatment and medical monitoring.
Ida added that the facility operates as a Care, Support, and Treatment center, inviting community members with risk factors to utilize available diagnostic and therapeutic services.
"Tanggal 19 November ini harus selesai. Sekarang sudah melakukan uji petik beberapa rumah sakit. Darlis Pattalongi, Chair of the Special Committee for the Draft Regional Regulation on Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, and Sexually Transmitted Infections of the East Kalimantan Regional House of Representatives, at the regional legislative office on Jalan Teuku Umar in Samarinda on Friday, November 13, 2026.”
| Indicator | Metric | Geographic Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative Cases | Over 3,000 diagnoses | Balikpapan City |
| New Diagnoses | 1,014 cases (up to September) | East Kalimantan Province |
| Advanced Disease | 220 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome cases | East Kalimantan Province |
| Concurrent Infections | 606 syphilis diagnoses | East Kalimantan Province |
| Treatment Interruption | Approximately 40 patients | Manggar Community Health Center |
"Sudah finalisasi Perda kita terkait dari segi norma-norma, pembiayaan, keterlibatan pihak lain seperti Dinas Kesehatan dan pondok pesantren," said Darlis, a National Mandate Party politician, at the regional legislative office on Jalan Teuku Umar in Samarinda on Friday, November 13, 2026.
Balikpapan Health Office Head Alwiati emphasized that municipal authorities prohibit localized sex work districts to curb transmission vectors. “Kami berharap tidak ada lagi tempat-tempat praktik di luar yang bisa membuat peningkatan kasus HIV,” kata Alwiati.
Sebab HIV dapat ditangani asal rutin berobat dan konsultasi dengan dokter," said Alwiati to Kotaku.co.id.
- The Lancet.
