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) Laws and regulations