HIV prevalence among IDUs increases threefold
HIV prevalence among IDUs increases threefold
Dewi Santoso
Jakarta
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence among injecting
drugs users (IDU) in Indonesia has increased by threefold to 48
percent in 2003 from 16 percent in 1999, a report says.
A country report issued by the Joint United Nations Program on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said on Tuesday that the increase in HIV
prevalence among 125,000 to 196,000 IDUs had caused six of the
country's 31 provinces to now be classified as being badly
affected by the disease.
The six provinces are West Java, East Java, Jakarta, Riau,
Bali and Papua.
The report -- to be submitted by Indonesia to the 15th
International AIDS Conference to be held in Bangkok, Thailand,
from July 11 to July 17 -- also revealed that the prevalence rate
among the subject areas' 200,000 female sex workers had in some
areas increased sharply to levels of between 8 percent and 17
percent.
Data from the Ministry of Health show that half of between
124,000 and 169,000 IDUs are HIV positive.
The data further reveals that between 1987 and 2003, there
were an additional 3,924 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in
Indonesia, of which 2,685 were HIV positive and 1,239 had
developed AIDS. Of the 1,239 who had develop AIDS, 428 had died.
Those living with HIV/AIDS is estimated at between 80,000 and
130,000.
The UNAIDS report shows that the world's number of PLWHA has
grown to 38 million people in 2003 from 35 million in 2001.
The report cites "strong evidence" that the IDUs and sexual
networks overlap significantly, creating an ideal environment for
HIV spread.
UNAIDS country coordinator for Indonesia Jane Wilson said that
although Indonesia was facing a difficult situation, the country
needed to do its best to effectively fight the disease.
National AIDS Commission (KPA) consultant Nafsiah Mboi agreed,
saying that the KPA was focusing on the types of comprehensive
approaches that had thus far proven effective so as to prevent
the virus from further spreading.
These comprehensive approaches include prevention; care,
support and treatment; and fighting stigmatization and
discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
"For prevention, we'll focus on two programs, which are
promoting the use of condoms and providing more information on
the harm reduction program," said Nafsiah.
She said that the KPA had conducted a youth discussion program
in which students could discuss everything regarding the adverse
effects of drugs and unsafe sex.
"For care, support and treatment, we'll focus on how to
provide 5,000 PLWHA with antiretroviral drugs (ARV) by next
year," Nafsiah said. Currently, there are only 1,300 PLWHA here
who have access to ARV, only 2.7 percent of the estimated 130,000
PLWHA. This percentage remains far less than the hoped-for figure
of greater than 5 percent.
Last year, UNAIDS launched its "three-by-five" initiative, a
program aimed at providing three million PLWHA with ARV by 2005.
"We are also trying to shift perceptions of PLWHA, sex workers
and IDUs -- from alienation to acceptance, and treating them with
full support," said Nafsiah.
The government, she said, has not put enough effort into
fighting the virus, "as it allocates only a small amount to this
out of its total health budget."
The government allocated US$5.7 million out of its 2003 budget
to the fight against the virus, up from $3.25 million in the
previous year. Separately, foreign donations increased to $16.9
million in 2003 from $9.3 million in 2002.
UNAIDS world report -- Page ....