Speak up about HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and hepatitis C

Speak up about HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and hepatitis C

David Gordon, Director Yayasan Harapan Permata Hati Kita, Jakarta

Do you really understand the severity of these words: drug
abuse, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C? And do you
understand the crisis we face in Indonesia today?

Words, words, news, tragedy, terror and drama are such a
common part of our everyday sojourn we hardly ever take time to
stop, to reflect and consider whether we remember the meaning of
the words we hear.

In our daily memory, words -- like echoes, bounce from one
feeling and emotion to another feeling and emotion. We chase tic-
tock-time around our life-clock, hoping to grasp a fleeting
moment of joy and happiness, a self-regressing idea, a
reminiscence of having fun, child-like fun ....

As I began writing this article, ironically, one of our staff
members phoned me. He is a recovered addict who works with us at
Yayasan Kita and a little over a month ago became a father, for
the second time; they had a girl. All seemed well, normal, until
a few days ago, when this one-month-old baby girl fell sick. They
took the baby to the hospital, she became sicker, went into a
coma for nearly three days, and then died. The baby died from
hepatitis C. The child was infected from the father, who as an
active addict was an injecting drug user (IDU).

In Greater Jakarta, currently, 90 percent (nine out of 10) of
IDUs are testing positive for hepatitis C.

When I began writing this article, I had no knowledge of the
severity of this crisis. Yet, this baby is part of the unfolding
crisis, the circle surrounding drug abuse and the viruses this
article represents.

Newborn babies are often born infected with HIV or hepatitis
when one, or both, of the parents are infected with HIV/AIDS or
hepatitis.

Current indications signify that within the next two to three
years a million people -- mostly young males and females -- will
be positive with HIV and AIDS and hepatitis C. Can you imagine a
million young Indonesians standing side by side, all with a life-
threatening, debilitating, or deadly disease? Words like plague,
epidemic, catastrophe and deadly disease would be appropriate in
definition and description.

How long and how loud must we shout before the general
population hears what we are shouting about and awakens to the
mortal jeopardy of this reality? It is YOU, the general public,
that needs to shout to your local, community and national leaders
and demand that these people of influence pay attention to the
crisis at hand.

You must learn for yourselves about drug abuse and the related
viruses, then teach what you have learned to those in your own
home first, and then begin to share your knowledge within your
own neighborhood. You must get factual information to the young
people of our nation; basa-basi (sweet talk), governmental and
religious denial, and mundane ignorance -- will not work with the
younger generation any longer.

We -- and young people must get accurate and factual education
about sex, drugs, viruses and physical and mental health issues
placed throughout our school system, from junior high upwards,
and this education needs to be implemented, NOW.

These words are redundant and repetitious, and fall mostly
upon ears that have heard these words over and over, to the point
that they have become recapped, tired and boring.

But, the general public do not truly understand that a
generation of our young are becoming mentally, emotionally, and
physically disabled or crippled and many will die, as in DEAD,
from drug abuse and HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.

So, what happens if we do not:
* Establish centers for drug rehabilitation and recovery,
* Employ harm reduction methodologies and technology,
* Create community based outreach centers and their supportable
programs
* Encourage self-help programs,
* Request more support from the 12-step programs of Narcotics
Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous,
* Endorse support for self-help empowerment for sex workers, both
females and males, to appeal for more customer condom use.
* Start drug substitution and needle exchange programs.
* Begin information and rehabilitation programs in our prisons,
for both males and females, or call to establish better
assistance on human rights?

What happens if the government and those we look to as our
leaders do not lend an ear, open their mind, and quicken their
heart to the crisis of drug abuse and addiction, and HIV/AIDS and
hepatitis C -- that has been on the increase, that we have been
facing and dealing with since the early 1990's?

What happens if we do not adopt programs and ideas like these
now?

What happens is, there will be more human tragedy,
destruction, tears and death than already forecast. That is what
will surely happen, as this is what is happening now!

Do you understand more about these WORDS now? We can either
learn about drugs and related viruses and carry the message to
others, or you can bury the results of not carrying the message.

"URGENT"

DRUG ABUSE
and
DRUG ADDICTION
and
HIV/AIDS
&
HEPATITIS C

have invaded INDONESIA

"YOUR"
VOICE IS NEEDED

SPEAK UP
{Yani - this should be included with the article, hopefully on
1/2 page, in bold letters}