Local Government Responses to HIV and AIDS in the Border Areas: a Case Study of Batam

Improving the welfare of the people who live in the border areas has been a concern of the Indonesian government for the past few years. Compared with other areas, most of the border areas are relatively less developed, especially in terms of human resources development. Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah/RPJM 2005–2009 [National Development Plan of 2005–2009] noted the shift of development priorities in the border areas from security approach to the prosperity approach. One of the key indicators of social welfare is health, particularly reproductive health. This term covers maternal and child health, family planning, adolescent services, abortion, and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI), which include HIV and AIDS. Previous studies indicated that STIs (including HIV and AIDS) are one of the emerging health problems in the border areas of Indonesia. Data show that incident rates of HIV and AIDS in these provinces are higher than in other provinces and higher than the national rates.