Indonesia relies on NGOs, not govt, to fight HIV
Indonesia relies on NGOs, not govt, to fight HIV
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With HIV spreading rapidly in Indonesia, the country cannot
expect much from the government but instead many non-governmental
organizations and foreign groups are tackling the problems.
The government is moving slowly with its eight-year-old
National AIDS Commission (KPA) to prevent the possible emergence
of an out-of-control HIV epidemic.
"We are just the coordinating body which addresses inter-
sectoral issues. All technicalities lie with related ministries,"
Naalih Kelsum, KPA senior official told The Jakarta Post on
Sunday.
The only department which seems serious in dealing with the
spread of HIV is the Ministry of Health, while other ministries
play only minor roles.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, for instance, trains health
workers not to discriminate against patients with HIV/AIDS. But
it stops there.
Also, the Ministry of National Education still is in the
planning stages for the inclusion of an HIV/AIDS curriculum for
elementary and secondary schools.
Other ministries apparently are doing very little in their
efforts to deal with the deadly virus.
Naalih said KPA, established in 1994 through a presidential
decree, and put under the office of the coordinating minister for
people's welfare, had actually conducted a number of projects
through its provincial offices.
One of them is a pilot project on 100 percent condom use in
brothels in Merauke regency, Papua.
"We have urged the Merauke administration to make rulings that
oblige 100 percent condom usage in brothels. We have asked the
pimps, commercial sex workers, security guards and clients to
support the program.
"We also plan to conduct another campaign in Batam, Riau, this
year," he said.
Naalih added that the next big program for KPA would be
drafting a bill on protecting people with AIDS. However, the task
would not be done any time soon as KPA was still restructuring
itself following the disbandment of the office of coordinating
minister for people's welfare by former president Abdurrahman
Wahid.
"We are now planning to hire a consultant from Ausaid
(Australia's official overseas aid agency) to restructure and
revitalize our organization to keep up with the current changes,"
Naalih said.
As KPA is restructuring itself, various NGOs and other
societal and independent bodies have conducted various projects
such as counseling, HIV tests, community support groups and the
importation of antiretroviral drugs.
Among them are the Pelita Ilmu Foundation in Jakarta, the
Kerti Praja Foundation in Bali and the HIV/AIDS study center
(Pokdisus) established by the University of Indonesia and Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital.
Pelita Ilmu, for instance, has been active in providing
counseling, community support and blood testing for people in
Greater Jakarta.
Kerti Praja also provides counseling and blood testing for
people in Bali.
Because Indonesia does not yet produce cheap HIV-related
drugs, Pokdisus pioneered -- currently still the only one -- the
importation of general antiretroviral drugs from India and
Thailand.
Pokdisus program manager Kurniawan Rachmadi said his study
center also published a practical guide book for doctors and
health workers in remote areas to handle HIV/AIDS cases.
KPA's ten national priority programs on the prevention and
control of HIV/AIDS: (1) Information, education, communication,
(2) Prevention, (3) Testing and counseling, (4) Treatment and care,
(5) Education and training, (6) Research and development,
(7) Monitoring and evaluation (surveillance), (8) International
cooperation, (9) Program institutionalization, (10)
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