Lack of knowledge on AIDS causes stigma<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has a mountain to climb in its attempt to combat
\nHIV\/AIDS due to the long-standing stigma and discrimination
\nagainst people living with the virus (PLWHA), observers say.<\/p>\n
They agree that people's understanding that HIV\/AIDS is a
\nprivate matter has led to their resistance to collective measures
\nagainst the virus.<\/p>\n
"This has given people the justification to label PLWHA as sex
\nworkers or drug addicts," Samuel Nugraha of Pita, the support
\ngroup for PLWHA, said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
As a result, he said, PLWHA were isolated, marginalized,
\ndiscriminated against, and denied access to healthcare and work.<\/p>\n
Data from the Spritia Foundation showed that based on
\ninterviews with PLWHA in 10 provinces in 2002, 31 percent of them
\nhad claimed they had been deprived of access to healthcare.
\nIronically, those who had refused to care for the PLWHA were
\nhealth workers, who are supposed to provide treatments and
\nhealthcare to people without discrimination.<\/p>\n
The stigma has also caused PLWHA difficulties in getting jobs.<\/p>\n
"Thirty eight percent of PLWHA in Indonesia voiced their
\ndisappointment that their status was revealed to others, without
\ntheir consent; some were refused work and some even fired,"
\nSamuel told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Because of this, he said, PLWHA did not feel like obtaining
\ninformation on preventing and treating the virus.<\/p>\n
"The implication is that HIV\/AIDS cases are increasing
\nundetected," he said.<\/p>\n
To tackle this problem, United Nations (UN) Resident
\nCoordinator Steven Allen said that more education on HIV\/AIDS
\nneeded to be included in the curriculum in the teaching of
\nreproductive health as early as junior high school.<\/p>\n
"Government policies that relate to youth matters are of the
\nmost concern as schools do not provide adequate information on
\nhealth issues," said Allen.<\/p>\n
Data from the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) shows
\nthat half of PLWHA, aged between 15 and 24, transmitted the virus
\ndue to their misconception of how HIV\/AIDS is transmitted.
\nIndonesia's youths account for 30 percent of the total
\npopulation.<\/p>\n
The data further revealed that only 26 percent of PLWHA aged
\nbetween 15 and 24, received information on reproductive health
\nfrom their parents. Furthermore, 86 percent of these parents
\nprovided their children with information that was incorrect.<\/p>\n
"The data shows us that advocacy to young people on the
\nprevention of HIV\/AIDS is needed for a better future as young
\npeople play the key role in this country within the next 10
\nyears," UNFPA Director Bernard Coquelin told the Post.<\/p>\n
Education alone is not enough. Religious leaders have
\ncontributed to the stigma.<\/p>\n
"They see it as a moral issue. For them, HIV\/AIDS is a sin
\nthat PLWHA have to bear for what they have done," Indonesian AIDS
\nFoundation (YAI) chairman Sarsanto W. Sarwono said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) demanded that
\nthe Indonesian government allocate US$6 million in the 2004
\nfiscal year to help the global initiative aimed at bringing
\nantiretroviral treatment to PLWHA.<\/p>\n
The fund will be added to WHO's total budget for
\nantiretroviral treatment in Indonesia worth $27.6 million, of
\nwhich $7 million will come from the Global Fund, $5.6 million
\nfrom U.S. agencies and $9 million from international non-
\ngovernmental organizations.<\/p>\n
WHO needs $5,5 billion to fund the program worldwide,
\ntargeting three million PLWHA for the next two years.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lack-of-knowledge-on-aids-causes-stigma-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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