Networking of AIDS workers proposed

Networking of AIDS workers proposed

JAKARTA (JP): A leading member of the Indonesian AIDS Foundation has proposed that all the organizations active in efforts to contain the dreaded disease consult with one another before taking their campaign to the public.

In Indonesia, moves to counter the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are still sporadic and uncoordinated, according to Emil Salim, a member of the foundation's board of trustees. Emil was speaking to a seminar on AIDS organized by the Kompas daily newspaper on Monday.

Even the foundation did not escape criticism, with Emil suggesting a restructuring to make its work more effective.

"With the current situation of AIDS in the country, I would think that the first step to take is to create an atmosphere of awareness among non-government organizations (NGOs), which can later be extended to the public," he said.

Emphasizing the importance of coordination among NGOs, Emil said a restructuring of the foundation would change its role so that it became more of a financial source and an umbrella organization, as opposed to an organization working directly in the field.

Members of the Indonesian AIDS Foundation, which was established last year, include former health minister, Dr. Adhyatma, psychologist Sarlito Wirawan, and business people Ibnu Sutowo and Jakob Oetama.

Restructuring the foundation, which is strong in financial sources and credibility, would allow it to channel its funds to NGOs according to a set of priorities, Emil said.

"AIDS-prevention NGOs need a solid network and the foundation can provide the supervision and guidance to smaller, local NGOs so they can understand the seriousness of the issue without getting 'scared' of it or backing out," he said.

Emil said that, compared with NGOs in other fields or in other countries, AIDS-prevention NGOs in Indonesia were still at "pre- school" level and needed to be given a lot of basic information.

Nafsiah Mboi, a legislator and a member of the National AIDS Commission, said the AIDS epidemic had entered Indonesia as early as 1985 but had received hardly any publicity at that time.

Now it had reached the stage where it endangered "good, faithful housewives who engage in sexual intercourse with no one else but their husbands," she told the meeting.

At the last count in January, some 280 people in Indonesia tested positive for HIV, although government officials and AIDS workers believe that the actual number of people who have contracted the virus is already in the thousands.

Emil, who is former minister of environment, said that there were varying levels of professionalism, awareness and skill among NGO activists and that a wide gap existed, for example, between NGOs in Jakarta and those in the remote areas of Aceh and Irian Jaya.

"After restructuring, we need sound leadership and after that we can talk with sponsors, for instance, about funding activities and priority programs," he said. (pwn)