AIDS put on the back burner of concerns in the crisis

By Stevie Emilia

The World Health Organization estimates that 40 million people worldwide will be infected by HIV by the year 2000. Of these, nearly 10 million will be in Asia, including Indonesia.

In conjunction with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, The Jakarta Post looks into what needs to be done to stem the toll from the global epidemic.

JAKARTA (JP): In this time of crisis, many people would trade their valuables for some cash to buy food. They would sell their cars, jewelry or even themselves in order to survive.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian AIDS Foundation, Kartono Mohamad, expressed the fear that the crisis would force some people to sell "the only thing they have" to earn a living.

"With economic hardship, the number of sex workers, especially among those with no skills or adequate education, might increase," he told The Jakarta Post.

"If this condition continues, I'm afraid that HIV/AIDS cases will rise in number," he said.

Samsuridjal Djauzi of the Pelita Ilmu Foundation also raised the same concern.

He predicted that young people, especially females in rural areas aged between 15 and 24 years old, would face the risk of being infected with HIV because of the limited working options they have.

Those who used to be workers in factories or plantations and were no longer employed because of the crisis could end up as sex workers, he said.

"This matter should be anticipated. The most important thing is how to provide them with information. If they do become sex workers, they should at least know how to protect themselves," Samsuridjal told the Post.

The Ministry of Health data showed that as of October, there were 776 reported HIV/AIDS cases nationwide, of which 555 were HIV-positive while 221 people had full-blown AIDS. Of the 221 people with AIDS, 111 of them had already died.

Out of the reported cases, 368 people were between 20 and 29 years old, 217 people between 30 to 39 years old and 42 people were even in the 15 to 19 bracket.

Experts however have predicted much higher HIV/AIDS totals in this country of over 200 million people.

Kartono expressed regret over the closing down of some rehabilitation sites and red-light districts.

"It's a pity. It's a narrow-minded decision. As a result, many sex workers could spill on to the streets, making it hard to monitor their numbers and the diseases they have," he said.

He was referring to recent demonstrations in various cities, such as Jakarta, Klaten in Central Java and Ujungpandang in South Sulawesi that have pressured government officials into closing some brothels and nightspots. Red-light districts such as in Purworejo, Central Java and Pontianak, West Kalimantan have been burned down.

Samsuridjal urged those who demanded such moves to think of alternative solutions.

"This is not a simple problem. Closing them down did not necessarily make the sex workers vanish. They would move on or even work on the streets," he said.

The International Labor Organization recently reported that the country's sex industry employed around 230,000 sex workers.

With the present political developments, many raised doubt that the government could spare thoughts for the threat of HIV/AIDS.

"The government has no real programs, only ceremonial things. So, now, it's up to NGOs to carry out the campaigns. Let others talk about reform, politics, but we will talk about the danger of AIDS," said the former chairperson of the Indonesian Medical Association.

Samsuridjal urged the government to be consistent in the campaign to prevent HIV/AIDS. "Or, it will be too late."

The Ministry of Health's director general for the prevention of communicable diseases, Achmad Sujudi, denied that the government did not pay much attention toward the danger of HIV/AIDS.

The ministry, he said, along with NGOs, have distributed information to prevent the spread of the syndrome.

"But it seems like some people still lack understanding or even ignore the information. We can see that some people are still visiting red light districts...," Achmad told the Post over the phone.

"It will not be easy to change one's attitude and it will need a strong force to do so," he added.

But he declined to comment on whether the crisis would force some people to earn a living as sex workers as suggested by many and that these would contract HIV in so doing.

"It might be the case.. but it's only an assumption and as far I remember, there's no research to back it up," Achmad said.

The World AIDS Day will be observed on Tuesday with the theme Force for Change, World AIDS Campaign with Young People.

This year's campaign expected young people to say "no" to HIV by saying "no" to risky behavior and inculcate in them the sense of compassion and care for all people who are living with HIV/AIDS.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that adolescents and young people were particularly vulnerable to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with young and adolescent girls more susceptible than males.

It is estimated that 40 million people worldwide will be infected by HIV by the year 2000. Of these, nearly 10 million will be in Asia, and half of these will be young people between the ages of 15 and 25 years. Four out of five young people live in developing countries.

Samsuridjal expressed optimism over the significant role of young people in anti-AIDS campaigns.

He cited an example of a youth group in Pagadungan village in West Java -- around 100 kilometers from the capital. The youth there made significant changes to the local community's attitude toward HIV-infected people by simply showing them how to treat one.

"Previously, local residents were afraid and isolated an HIV- infected man living there. But after the group members visited his house and shook hands with him, people began to understand and no longer reject him...," Samsuridjal said.