Indonesia ranks lowest on welfare index<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Quality of life in Indonesia is ranked the
\nlowest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on a
\nUnited Nations' index, Minister of Health Sujudi said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said Indonesia scored 0.584 on the UN's Human
\nDevelopment Index, as compared with Malaysia's 0.794, the
\nPhilippines' 0.621, Singapore's 0.836, Brunei's 0.829 and
\nThailand's 0.798.<\/p>\n
The UN scale ranks quality of life on a scale of zero to one.<\/p>\n
Sujudi made the remarks in an address to a national symposium
\non public health laws in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, which was
\nread by the ministry's secretary-general, Hidayat Hardjorawito.<\/p>\n
The index is calculated on the basis of three components:
\nlongevity, measured by life expectancy; knowledge, measured by
\nyears of schooling and literacy; and standard of living, measured
\nby purchasing power.<\/p>\n
\"The latest welfare index suggests that Indonesia should work
\nhard to improve the quality and distribution of health services,\"
\nSujudi said.<\/p>\n
More intensive development of the health sector, he said, was
\nmost important in increasing Indonesians' intelligence quotient
\nand productivity.<\/p>\n
The one-day symposium at Hasanuddin University was held in
\ncooperation with the provincial office of the health ministry,
\nthe Indonesian Medical Association and the Association of Experts
\non Medical Laws.<\/p>\n
AIDS<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Jakarta, public health expert Nafsiah Mboi
\nwarned that the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus was a
\nmajor threat to Indonesia's health development.<\/p>\n
On a positive note, she said that a recent United Nations
\nworkshop on children in Florence, Italy, had recognized
\nIndonesia's progress towards the goals of the 1990 World Summit
\non Children.<\/p>\n
The workshop focused on countries in Africa and South Asia
\nwhich were having greater difficulties in achieving the goals
\nthan Indonesia, she said.<\/p>\n
Among the 1990 goals were the reduction of the rate of infant
\nand under-five mortality by one third, that is, to 50 and 70,
\nrespectively, per 1,000 live births, by 2000.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's child mortality rate dropped from 145 per 1,000
\nlive births in 1970 to 55 per 1,000 in 1993.<\/p>\n
However, Mboi repeated her warning that Indonesia's
\nimprovements in child survival could be rendered futile as many
\nchildren might fall victim to AIDS.<\/p>\n
Experts have said that few local doctors are able to recognize
\nthe symptoms of AIDS, which has a window period of about seven
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Mboi has repeatedly expressed concern over the government's
\nreluctance to embark on more intensive campaigns to prevent AIDS,
\nsuch as providing sex education for teenagers. (anr)<\/p>",
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