Dial 530-3000 for advice on AIDS

JAKARTA (JP): Anti-AIDS campaigners launched yesterday a new hotline to provide the public with information on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, its mode of transmission and efforts to prevent it.

Martina Widjaja of the Indonesian AIDS Foundation, a non- governmental organization on AIDS which was founded by many public figures, announced yesterday that the new hotline will start tomorrow.

The hotline, on 530-3000, is jointly provided by the foundation, and the West Jakarta office of PT Telkom, the state- owned telephone company. Five skilled volunteers, trained by leading psychologist Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, will be ready to answer queries about the rapidly spreading disease between 10 am and 3pm every day.

"Everybody is entitled to accurate information on how to protect themselves and other people from being infected with HIV and AIDS," Martina said. HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus which almost always leads to the disease.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare's assistant Suyono Yahya, Director General of Communicable Disease Control and Environmental Health of the Health Ministry Hadi Abednego, and former Health Minister Adhyatma were present at the inauguration of the hotline.

The hotline is one of several established over the past few years by the government and non-governmental organizations. The first was established by the AIDS Study Group of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in 1992 in Jakarta.

Other hotlines include the AIDS and HIV Information and Consultancy Service by the National Family Planning Board and Telkom in Jakarta, Hotline Surya in Surabaya, Hotline AIDS Mitra Indonesia in Jakarta, Yayasan Sidikara in Bandung, Yayasan Citra Usadha Indonesia in Denpasar, Lentera PKBI in Yogyakarta, and Hotline AIDS PUS-Triple M in Ujungpandang.

Unlike the other hotlines, however, the new Indonesian AIDS Foundation does not provide 24-hour pre-recorded message with general information about the syndrome and the virus. All queries will be handled personally by the volunteers.

Djunijanto of the foundation pointed out that providing pre- recorded messages might be counterproductive. "Many people, after hearing the recording, might then feel that they know enough already...this could lead to misunderstandings about AIDS," he told The Jakarta Post.

The official figure of people with AIDS currently stands at 95, 59 of whom have already died. 295 people are HIV-positive. Jakarta still tops the list with 137 people with AIDS or HIV infections, Irian Jaya is second with 102, Bali and East Java each have 33, and Riau has 29 people with AIDS or HIV. (31)