Clear-cut policy to combat AIDS in RI sought

Clear-cut policy to combat AIDS in RI sought

JAKARTA (JP): An activist urged the government yesterday to
draw up a clear-cut policy in efforts to prevent the spread of
the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Indonesia.

Adi Sasongko, director for health care of the Kusuma Buana
Foundation, said the government is slow in drawing up a clear
policy to combat the deadly disease.

"This has sped up the spread of the disease in Indonesia. The
government should do everything in its power to prevent the
situation from getting out of hand," Adi told a seminar on AIDS
prevention activities.

Last year President Soeharto established an inter-ministerial
committee to contain the spread of AIDS. The committee is chaired
by Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Azwar Anas.

Azwar said the committee is drawing up a plan of action,
pointing out that failure to act now could bring the number of
people infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) to
300,000 by the year 2000. This would represent about US$2 billion
a year in medical costs.

The government has avoided publicizing the use of condoms as a
preventative measure against AIDS because religious leaders are
against it, fearing that it will sound like the government is
tolerating free sex.

The seminar was held by the North Jakarta mayoralty in
cooperation with the Kusuma Buana Foundation to publicize efforts
in preventing AIDS in Kramat Tunggak prostitute rehabilitation
centers.

The foundation, established in 1983, was originally formed to
serve mothers and children in health issues. It began being
interested in AIDS in 1993 when its research showed that 29.6
percent of women who came to its six clinics had sexually related
diseases.

"The foundation realized that Kramat Tunggak is one of the
places which is at risk to the disease because it is near Tanjung
Priok port and many sailors visit the place," Adi said.

Adi also said that up until December last year there were 275
people infected with the disease all over Indonesia with 33.8
percent, or 93 people, in Jakarta.

"This number is only the tip of the iceberg, with the actual
number much greater. At Kramat Tunggak there are only three
prostitutes infected with HIV but I believe there are more than
that because blood tests were conducted randomly," Adi said.

The foundation started informing prostitutes of the danger of
AIDS in early 1994, motivating them to offer condoms to their
clients.

Kramat Tunggak is located in North Jakarta and was built by
the city administration in 1970 to put the prostitutes around
Tanjung Priok port into one complex.

Head of the rehabilitation center, Pudji Hardjono, said that
the 11 hectare complex consists of 270 buildings, which can
accommodate 2,300 prostitutes. At this time there are 1,860
prostitutes there.

Adi said all of the volunteers who deal with the prostitutes
are women because it is easier for the prostitutes to talk about
the disease with them.

Adi said that since most of prostitutes are not well educated
the presentations are conducted as simply as possible.

He said the fact that many of the prostitutes in the Kramat
Tunggak district are not aware that they must use condoms when
having sexual intercourse with their boyfriends is a problem that
may hamper the program.

"They have not yet realized that they should use condoms even
in sexual relations with their boyfriends," Adi said.(yns)