Welcoming Remarks
Prof. Hubert J.Gijzen, PhD
Director and Representative of UNESCO Office Jakarta
Drs. Bambang Krisbanu, Bc.IP, SH, MH, Acting Director General of Correctional
Institutes
Prof. Dr. Fasli Jalal, Sp.GK, PhD, Head of BKKBN
dr. Lily Sulistyowati, MM, Head of Health Promotion, Ministry of Health
Prof. Arief Rachman, Executive Chairman, Indonesia National Commission for
UNESCO,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning to all of you.
It is my pleasure to welcome you on this “High Level Meeting on the Education
Sector’s Role (Non-Formal Education) in HIV Prevention for Youth in Closed
Setting Centres and Youth-Out of Schools”.
I would like to congratulate all of us who have been working really hard these last
two year to improve the comprehensive knowledge on HIV and AIDS, especially
for youth in closed setting centres and for youth out of school. Together, we have
developed five supplemental illustrative manuals on comprehensive sexuality
education for facilitators and a reading book for youth in juvenile detention
centres. This afternoon, we are going to hand over the facilitator books to BKKBN,
who have committed to use the books for the “National Jambore” in 2104, and
the reading book for youth to the Directorate General of Correctional Institutes,
who have committed to print and distribute the books to all juvenile detention
centres country-wide.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Cases of HIV in Indonesia have increased from 8,504 in 2006 to 76,879 in 2011.
The Indonesia Ministry of Health estimates there would be 541,700 people with
HIV positive status in Indonesia in 2014.
The Government of Indonesia through its Ministry of Health has pointed out that
improving youth’s comprehensive knowledge on HIV and AIDS is one of the
priorities to achieving the Goals of HIV Programs, Zero new HIV infection, Zero
discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths. In fact, the National AIDS Strategy
2010-2014 states that the government has set a target of providing 90% of youth
with comprehensive knowledge on HIV prevention.
Evidence shows that effective comprehensive sexuality education will delay
sexual debut and prevent HIV transmission. Hence, UNESCO, as a leading UN
agency in education has been focusing on effective comprehensive sexuality
education, termed “reproductive health education” in Indonesia, as an important
part of HIV prevention.
Ladies and gentlemen,
HIV and AIDS is a cross-cutting issue, which needs coordination among
stakeholders, including among Ministries and among sectors in the Ministries. We
are proud to say that our collaborative efforts have supported BKKBN and
Ministry of Law and Human Rights as two of the most important stakeholders to
deliver comprehensive reproductive health education for youth.
Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Mee Young Choi and her staff in HIV-EDU unit for
arranging this meeting. I hope our collaboration will not end here but that we
continue working together to empower young people to make informed decisions
as an important means of HIV prevention.
Thank you very much.