Reported AIDS cases soar, shared needles lead transmission
Reported AIDS cases soar, shared needles lead transmission
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The number of reported AIDS cases in Indonesia has more than
doubled, with injecting drug users most affected, a report says.
A country report to be submitted by Indonesia to next month's
Asia and the Pacific 7th International Congress on AIDS in Kobe,
Japan, reveals that there were cumulatively 2,682 reported AIDS
cases in 29 provinces, a significant climb from the 1,058 figure
in March 2003.
The number, however, only represent the tip of the iceberg as
there are still those who keep quiet about their illness due to
fear of stigmatization and discrimination.
The official estimate of people living with HIV/AIDS in
Indonesia is 90,000 to 130,000 people, cited the report. The
global number has grown to 38 million people in 2003 from 35
million in 2001.
While in a previous report Jakarta topped the list of
provinces with the highest AIDS rate, this year Papua has
outnumbered the capital with a rate of 24.06 cases per 100,000 of
population. Other provinces with high rates of AIDS are Bali,
Maluku, North Sulawesi and West Kalimantan.
Data shows that drug injection is now the main mode of
transmission for the disease.
A Jakarta survey in 2003 showed that HIV prevalence had
tripled from 15.8 percent in 1999 to 47.9 percent in 2002. Last
year, the city saw a 44.1 percent increase in reported AIDS
cases.
Despite the fact that drug injection is now the main mode of
HIV transmission, harm reduction strategies taken to counter the
spread of the virus still confronted legal impediments.
Harm reduction strategies include providing sterile disposable
needles and disinfectants as well as providing heroin substitutes
such as methadone and buprenorphine.
Such strategies aim to discourage the sharing of contaminated
drug equipment.
"These methods are still controversial and have not found full
support," National AIDS Commission representative Suharto said on
Friday.
The report also cites overlapping sexual networks as the
second most important mode of transmission. The prevalence of
HIV/AIDS has increased significantly in Papua increasing 6.69
percent in 1999 and 16.7 percent in 2002.
UNAIDS country coordinator for Indonesia Jane Wilson said that
despite increasing funds from both the government and global
donors, the country saw little progress in preventing the
epidemic.
"One of challenges is the low percentage of condom use in
commercial sex," she said, adding that this was yet another
controversial issue that hampered prevention strategies, as
promotion of the use of condoms faced religious and cultural
obstacles.
Suharto added that such conservative views were
counterproductive in the fight against HIV/AIDS as they did not
provide alternative solutions.
The National AIDS Commission, he said, was still had
inadequate outreach to high risk behavior groups like injecting
drug users, homosexual men, sex workers and their clients, as
well as the partners of members of these groups.
All these obstacles have together led to the poor development
the country has seen in its fight against HIV/AIDS, despite
soaring funds, he added.(003)
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The number of reported AIDS cases in Indonesia has more than
doubled, with injecting drug users most affected, a report says.
A country report to be submitted by Indonesia to next month's
Asia and the Pacific 7th International Congress on AIDS in Kobe,
Japan, reveals that there were cumulatively 2,682 reported AIDS
cases in 29 provinces, a significant climb from the 1,058 figure
in March 2003.
The number, however, only represent the tip of the iceberg as
there are still those who keep quiet about their illness due to
fear of stigmatization and discrimination.
The official estimate of people living with HIV/AIDS in
Indonesia is 90,000 to 130,000 people, cited the report. The
global number has grown to 38 million people in 2003 from 35
million in 2001.
While in a previous report Jakarta topped the list of
provinces with the highest AIDS rate, this year Papua has
outnumbered the capital with a rate of 24.06 cases per 100,000 of
population. Other provinces with high rates of AIDS are Bali,
Maluku, North Sulawesi and West Kalimantan.
Data shows that drug injection is now the main mode of
transmission for the disease.
A Jakarta survey in 2003 showed that HIV prevalence had
tripled from 15.8 percent in 1999 to 47.9 percent in 2002. Last
year, the city saw a 44.1 percent increase in reported AIDS
cases.
Despite the fact that drug injection is now the main mode of
HIV transmission, harm reduction strategies taken to counter the
spread of the virus still confronted legal impediments.
Harm reduction strategies include providing sterile disposable
needles and disinfectants as well as providing heroin substitutes
such as methadone and buprenorphine.
Such strategies aim to discourage the sharing of contaminated
drug equipment.
"These methods are still controversial and have not found full
support," National AIDS Commission representative Suharto said on
Friday.
The report also cites overlapping sexual networks as the
second most important mode of transmission. The prevalence of
HIV/AIDS has increased significantly in Papua increasing 6.69
percent in 1999 and 16.7 percent in 2002.
UNAIDS country coordinator for Indonesia Jane Wilson said that
despite increasing funds from both the government and global
donors, the country saw little progress in preventing the
epidemic.
"One of challenges is the low percentage of condom use in
commercial sex," she said, adding that this was yet another
controversial issue that hampered prevention strategies, as
promotion of the use of condoms faced religious and cultural
obstacles.
Suharto added that such conservative views were
counterproductive in the fight against HIV/AIDS as they did not
provide alternative solutions.
The National AIDS Commission, he said, was still had
inadequate outreach to high risk behavior groups like injecting
drug users, homosexual men, sex workers and their clients, as
well as the partners of members of these groups.
All these obstacles have together led to the poor development
the country has seen in its fight against HIV/AIDS, despite
soaring funds, he added.(003)