'Massive anti-drug campaign needed'<\/p>\n
A national estimate shows that there are at least 10,000
\ninjecting drug users (IDUs) in Jakarta who face a high risk of
\ncontracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) through sharing
\nneedles. An official report as of Dec. 31 also shows that the
\ncapital has the highest recorded number of people living with
\nHIV\/AIDS at 2,505, or 45 percent of the total 5,540 cases
\nnationwide.<\/p>\n
Against such alarming statistics, the Jakarta Provincial
\nNarcotics Agency (BNP) is among those institutions taking a stand
\nto prevent and curb the incidence of drug use and HIV
\ntransmission in the city.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post's Damar Harsanto interviewed BNP Jakarta
\nchairman Fauzi Bowo on the issue. Fauzi holds a civil engineering
\ndoctorate from the University of Kaiserlautern in Germany, and
\nalso chairs the Jakarta chapter of the country's largest Muslim
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Below is an excerpt from the
\ninterview.<\/p>\n
Question: What is the main obstacle in implementing measures to
\ncurb injecting drug-related HIV transmission?
\nAnswer: Stigma is the main stumbling block impeding our efforts
\nto reduce HIV transmission and prevent the spread of drug use.
\nRecently, we have been aggressive in compiling data on drug use
\nas well as HIV infection cases. This is part of the reason we
\ncontinue to see the number of cases rising significantly year by
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the more actively we try to reach out to drug
\nusers and people with HIV\/AIDS, the more we find it difficult to
\nreach them. Many families whose members have been diagnosed as
\nHIV-positive or are using illicit drugs try hard to hide the
\nfact. They think it is a family secret they must hide to save
\nface. They don't realize it hampers our efforts to give help to
\naffected people. This is the culture we live in, whether we like
\nit or not.<\/p>\n
What measures must be taken, then?<\/p>\n
We need to exert all munitions in our possession. We have to
\ntake an all-out approach in curbing the unchecked spread of
\nHIV\/AIDS. Of course, we are in dire need of more active
\nparticipation from relevant agencies and institutions, as well as
\nother parties that may seem less relevant, such as religious
\ninstitutions and religious leaders.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/p>\n
With regard to promoting harm reduction programs, we still
\nfind that coordination among government institutions is a serious
\nproblem.<\/p>\n
Many institutions remain locked in a heated debate over
\nseveral contentious issues, like the use of condoms and needles
\nto effectively protect people who exhibit high-risk behavior and
\nare therefore vulnerable to HIV. Many think that the campaigning
\nfor condom use is a lax suggestion to legalize casual sex.<\/p>\n
Could you give a concrete example?<\/p>\n
In my capacity as chairman of the NU's Jakarta chapter, for
\ninstance, I can say that we (the NU) do agree with taking
\nmeasures to stop drug use and to stop the spread of HIV\/AIDS. We
\nalso strongly support efforts to provide better care to affected
\npeople.<\/p>\n
However, we could not come out and declare that the most
\neffective way to solve these problems is, for instance, to advise
\npeople to use condoms as protection (against sexually transmitted
\ndiseases) when they have sex. It may be that most of us will
\nreadily agree with the grand design to resolve these problems,
\nbut other issues arise when it comes to the details, since many
\nmay disagree with the particular measures we should take to
\ntackle them.<\/p>\n
What about funding? Is there enough?<\/p>\n
We do face a great problem with the funding allocated to
\ncombat the explosion of the epidemic's transmission. In face of
\nas enormous a problem as we have and the extent to which it poses
\na great danger to innocent people, like affected wives and
\nchildren, the funding is meager.<\/p>\n
We are more fortunate, though, compared to other provinces
\nthat receive less funding. The administration has allocated Rp
\n7.5 billion every year to finance all programs to address the
\nissue properly.<\/p>\n
But still, it is far from sufficient.<\/p>\n
What is your suggested solution?<\/p>\n
Regardless of the many limitations we face, we have to work
\nhard to carry out a massive, continuous and intensive anti-drug
\ncampaign. We have to break through all constraints in order to
\nreach affected people. In addition, we have to actively take part
\nin the drive to raise public awareness about the seriousness of
\nthe issue and the dangers it poses to future generations.<\/p>\n
If possible, we could make the campaign as broad and far-
\nreaching as we have successfully implemented with the family
\nplanning program.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, we will see this time bomb explode before our eyes
\nin the next few years, since the spread of the infection has
\nreached full momentum. This monster is spreading quickly and
\nwidely as though it is driving down an open highway, since we are
\ntoo busy denying the devastation it is causing our community.<\/p>",
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