About real figures of AIDS<\/p>\n
It may seem ungrateful to criticize your supportive editorial
\n(AIDS: Where do we stand?, The Jakarta Post, July 8). But
\nwe do need to have a clearer understanding of the figures related
\nto AIDS in this country, and unfortunately the editorial tends
\nmore to cloud the issue.<\/p>\n
First, we must always very clearly differentiate between three
\nsets of figures: Reported cases, estimated cases and reality.
\nThus to state that \"the number of people living with HIV\/AIDS in
\nIndonesia grew by 3,924 from 1987 to 2003, of which 2,685 were
\nHIV-positive and 1,239 had developed AIDS\" confuses statistics
\nwith reality.<\/p>\n
In fact, these are the figures reported to the Ministry of
\nHealth by the provincial health services as at Sept. 30, 2003,
\nand certainly do not represent the total number of cases, or even
\nall the cases identified at that time, since there is usually a
\ndiscrepancy between provincial figures and those reported by the
\ncenter.<\/p>\n
You are correct in reporting that the best estimates put the
\ntotal number of cases of HIV-infection in the region of 100,000.
\nHowever, to state that 2,746 of these are HIV-positive and 1,413
\nhave developed AIDS appears to leave a huge gap. In fact these
\nlatter figures represent the cases reported by the ministry up to
\nMarch 31, 2004.<\/p>\n
Given that we have details of less than 5 percent of the
\nestimated number of cases, it is inappropriate to extrapolate
\nthis data to the wider population of those thought to be
\ninfected. Therefore, while it may be reasonable to assume that
\nunsafe sex is driving the epidemic in Papua and Riau (read the
\nRiau archipelago, not Pekanbaru as incorrectly stated in a report
\na couple of weeks ago), I doubt the same is true of the real
\nepidemic in Bali.<\/p>\n
Having just paid a return visit to the Kerobakan prison
\nin Bali, it is clear that injecting drug use is now almost
\ncertainly the main mode of HIV transmission on that \"isle of
\nparadise\".<\/p>\n
Regarding the government plans for treatment, it is the intent
\nof the Ministry of Health to provide drugs at a subsidized price
\nto as many as 4,000 people with AIDS this year. However, since a
\ncost of Rp 200,000 per month is well beyond the means of most
\npeople with AIDS in Indonesia, the activist community is strongly
\nurging the minister to reconsider this approach. To achieve the
\nministry's target of treating 10,000 people by 2005, it will be
\nessential to make the drugs available free-of-charge,
\njust as they are for tuberculosis.<\/p>\n
Finally, sadly it is not true to say that domestic production
\nof the drugs alleviates the cost. In fact, locally produced
\nantiretroviral drugs still cost well over twice the price of
\nsimilar drugs on the international market. The Clinton Foundation
\nhas negotiated an annual price of US$140 for this treatment. At
\ncurrent exchange rates, the Indonesian product costs over $500
\nper year; even the subsidized price is more than $250 per year.<\/p>\n
CHRIS W. GREEN, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/about-real-figures-of-aids-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }