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)