HIV/AIDS cases on the rise in West Java

Budianto The Jakarta Post Bandung

The number of people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has increased drastically by 340 percent to 359 in June, 2002 from 51 in 1999 due to the approach used to handle HIV/AIDS cases, according to a local foundation.

The Sidikara Foundation, which assists people with HIV/AIDS in Bandung, the capital of West Java, revealed that of the total figure, 326 were HIV positive and the remaining 33 had AIDS.

Sidikara Foundation coordinator Akhmad Jumarma attributed the high figure to the approach in handling HIV/AIDS cases.

"Medical checkups and HIV tests have been conducted only for sex workers, while tests on their customers and drug users who share needles, have been abandoned. Besides, the commission responsible for handling HIV/AIDS in the province should conduct not only an anti-AIDS campaign but also investigate all groups possibly infected by the deadly virus," he said here on Monday.

According to him, young people were mainly responsible for the spreading of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia, including West Java and the main method of transfer of the disease was through drug users that share needles.

"HIV has been mostly transferred by narcotic drug use and other banned drugs through syringes, especially in urban areas," he said.

Akhmad called on the local administration to launch a comprehensive approach to tackle the problem otherwise the number of people with HIV/AIDS would continue to rise in the next two years.

He said his foundation was to launch an advocacy and counseling program for people with HIV/AIDS, not only sex workers but also their customers, pimps and drug addicts.

"In addition, we will launch a campaign among youth groups in urban and rural areas, senior high schools and universities on the negative impacts of unsafe sex and the use of syringes in consuming banned drugs like heroin and other drugs of addiction," he said.

He said the fatal disease had spread quickly because neither sex workers nor their customers were aware of safe sex practices.

"So, sex workers, their clients and those of the lesbian and gay community should be encouraged to change their sexual behavior to minimize the danger," he said.

Akhmad said the foundation had difficulty providing counseling to narcotic addicts because they were classified as criminals, because the use of banned drugs and drug trafficking were against the law.