THE STUDENTS ROLE TO ACHIEVE THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

GOALS (GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING)

COMBATING HIV/AIDS

.:: Fathia Kesuma Dinanti ::.

Assalamualaikum wr wb. Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Have you ever heard the famous quote from the legendary US motivator Yogi Berra?
Once he said, The future aint what it used to be. I find it true. Unlike decades ago, currently
this world is dealing with the ever-increasing population. It impacts how we manage many
pathetic crisis happened in almost all of aspects in our life, such as society, education, energy,
health, and so many more. It happened in all countries in this world.

In order to solve this universal crisis, on 2015, United Nation spearheaded a set of 17
global goals, officially known as Sustainable Development Goals / SDGs. Sustainable
Development Goals is a bold commitment to finish what we started and tackle some of
the more pressing challenges facing the world today, including health crisis. The third
goal of SDGs is achieving good health and wellbeing for all at all ages.

Here, I am Fathia. I am a student. I want to share my opinion about the role of

student in achieving SDGs especially in good health and wellbeing. Welcome to my
speech.

Target 3 of SDGs expected that By 2030, we must end the epidemics of AIDS,
tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne
diseases and other communicable diseases. It shows that the epidemic of AIDS is becoming a
big priority for the world to handle. Why? Because, as we know, HIV/AIDS can dramatically
reduce the health quality and productivity of somebody. In a wider scale absolutely HIV/AIDS
can also influence the health quality of a nation.

Dear audiences, target 3 of SDGs is only going to be a discourse as considering 36.7

million people were living with HIV at the end of 2015. The Health Ministry of Indonesia
realeased a data that everyday, in Central Java as many as 10 people suffer new case of AIDS.
The statistic prediction also said that in 2030 there will be more than 15 million people are
suffering HIV/AIDS. Sadly, the incidence of HIV/AIDS is like an iceberg phenomena. It

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means that the number of the realities on the ground is actually is much larger than the number
of the cases found.

Ladies and gentlemen, after knowing this fact, will we just keep silent? Or will we just
keep sitting down in front of the TV, watching BBC news, or reading newspaper telling that the
number of people who are dying because of HIV/AIDS, is increasing, but still we do nothing at
all? The world needs our hands to step in. As student, which means we are well educated, we
have a role in engaging and educating people at the grassroots level until a wider society. This
is an urgent call for all of us as students to do something to combat HIV/AIDS for a better future.
I believe this is not only a role, but also a mission, a responsibility.
Ladies and gentlemen, then what can we do to combat HIV/AIDS as a student? I
believe the most effective way we can do is by building a powerful prevention. Thats why we
can implement 2 simple ways:
First, get ourselves informed well about HIV/AIDS. Acknowledge ourselves about HIV
transmission, how we can prevent and cut the transmission. For example, the most essential
effort is no free sex before marriage. We need to know how AIDS can influence our health
quality in short-term and in long-term. For example, various venereal disease and chronic
disease will absolutely threat us for lifetime. We need to understand how to deal with the one
who is infected by HIV. For example, by showing them our love, respect, support, helping
reduce stress and stressful situation.

Secondly, educate our friends, families, and everyone around us about HIV/AIDS. We can make
small groups of students which get involved in HIV/AIDS community. We can approach regions
with the more number of HIV/AIDS and do a socialization there regularly, raise their awarness
and encourage them, who are infected by HIV, to get treatment well.

I fundamentally believe the power of students in combating HIV/AIDS. Lets imagine if

million students in this world doing the same thing, we are not only keeping this nation safe, but
also the world. We can make a super-powerful prevention of HIV/AIDS, and later we will
successfully stop it. This is not impossible.

Well, the honourable audiences, its time for me to bring this speech to a close. Thank
you for you kind attention. The conclusion I want to emphasize is that (1) Its never too late to
change the future. (2) In succeeding goal 3 of SDGs, that is combating HIV/AIDS for achieving
good health and wellbeing, we need to step in together to build a power because real wealth is
health, not pieces of gold and silver. Wassalamualaikum wr wb

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