Concrete action needed

Concrete action needed

It is heartening to see that such a large number of non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) have come together in Jakarta
in the fight against drugs (NGOs establish body in campaign to
fight drug abuse, The Jakarta Post, Feb. 3, 2000).

However, readers may not be aware that there already exists a
forum of NGOs working in the field of drugs throughout the
country. Keluarga Relawan LSM dan Individu Pemerhati NAZA --
Family of volunteers, NGOs and individuals concerned about drugs
(KerlipNAZA) -- was formed in early 1999 and has been given a
mandate by NGOs from around the country to act as a network
coordinator and to provide a channel of communication with
government agencies.

Among the activities of KerlipNAZA are publishing a monthly
newsletter, BeritaNAZA, which is distributed in printed form
and by e-mail to more than 1,000 subscribers throughout the
country and overseas; operating two Internet mail lists, NAZANet
and NAZANet-E, to provide a forum for discussion in Indonesian
and English respectively on matters connected with drugs; hosting
an Indonesian-language web site on drugs; holding a National
Seminar/Workshop on Drugs in Cipanas in September 1999, which
was addressed by six foreign experts and funded by three
international donors; acting as a liaison with the international
community and foreign donors concerning matters related to drugs;
and arranging briefings with ministers and other government
officials concerned with the response to drugs.

Experience elsewhere indicates the number of drug addicts
could increase to 50 percent or even 70 percent within one to two
years, unless immediate and urgent steps are taken.
Realistically, we cannot expect but a few of these addicts to
stop using within this period, while more will inevitably join
their ranks. Thus other actions will be needed to prevent the
spread of disease (including hepatitis C, which is almost as
dangerous as HIV and much more infectious) via shared needles.

Programs, including replacement therapy with methadone and
programs to improve access to clean needles, must be implemented
as soon as possible if we are to avoid an AIDS epidemic far worse
than that caused thus far in Indonesia by sexual transmission of
the virus.

While it is true that the Fatmawati Drug Addiction Hospital is
the only one in the country specifically concerned with drug
treatment, it is misleading to say that it is the only one in
Indonesia with a special drug addict treatment unit. To our
knowledge there are at least three other hospitals in Jakarta and
Bogor which have such facilities, and others are adding such
units.

CHRIS W. GREEN

KerlipNAZA

Jakarta