Archbishop Petrus Turang of Kupang has thrown his weight behind a campaign launched earlier this month in East Nusa Tenggara province to stop the spread of HIV in its tracks.

The zero HIV campaign by the Regional AIDS Eradication Commission aims to cut the chain of infections of the virus which causes AIDS completely, following a recent spike in the number of HIV/AIDS cases.

According to the commission’s figures, there were 748 cases of HIV and 657 cases of AIDS in the area as of September.

According to the prelate, the campaign is all about “Getting to Zero” — zero new infections, zero discrimination against patients, and zero AIDS related deaths.

“This [campaign] is a global commitment, which should also be implemented in this province. This is not only the government’s responsibility but also ours,” he said in Kupang, the provincial capital.

Archbishop Turang suggested the campaign be taken up by junior high schools and universities as well as government institutions and the private sector. The Church, as a guardian of faith and morality, should also always pay closer attention to this issue.

However, he said parents should take the lead in the fight against the deadly disease since they have a huge responsibility to educate their children, especially about faith and morality.

“This is very important, particularly with regard to sexuality. We know that promiscuity is more common among teenagers and young people and this is a major cause in the spread of HIV/AIDS,” he warned.

The government, he said, must provide more voluntary counseling and testing clinics in villages to back up efforts to prevent the disease from spreading.

Related Reports:

Church alarmed at toddlers’ HIV/AIDS

Summit’s initiatives on HIV win support