Unicef alarmed by rise in HIV/AIDS cases in RI

Unicef alarmed by rise in HIV/AIDS cases in RI

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Alarmed by the increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia,
the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has decided to revise
its five-year program to include HIV/AIDS awareness in its
campaigns.

Unicef Regional Director for East Asia and Pacific Mehr Khan
said here on Wednesday that HIV/AIDS had not been identified as a
priority because Indonesia appeared relatively safe when the
program was launched in 2001.

"Today we know that we must address it with urgency and so the
mid-term review provides an opportunity to make that course
correction," Khan said after reviewing Unicef's five-year joint
program with the Indonesian government on Wednesday.

The program master plan stated that Unicef would provide
supplies, cash grants, technical assistance and support services
up to a total value not exceeding US$28.635 million over a period
of five years from regular resources, and, subject to the
availability of donor contributions, $83 million over the same
period.

Khan was accompanied by State Minister/Head of the National
Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Kwik Kian Gie.

Unicef also pledged to pay special attention to protecting
children from commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking in
its key objectives aside from quality universal education, and
reducing the maternal mortality rate and malnutrition.

Khan particularly said that Indonesia could examine how
Cambodia dealt with HIV/AIDS. "I mention Cambodia because the
country has very limited resources, but it is successful in
handling the epidemic," she said.

She said Indonesia must somehow overcome its cultural problem
in dealing with HIV/AIDS, because the first step in handling the
problem was by acknowledging openly that the problem was real
before stimulating a communal awareness.

"We must focus on the awareness of this threat and create the
conditions which allow young people to learn about the threat and
protect themselves adequately," Khan said.

A recent survey by the health ministry and non-governmental
organization Family Health International (FHI) showed that in
some provinces HIV/AIDS cases have been increasing by 15 percent
annually.

The provinces are Riau, including Batam island, Jakarta, West
Java, Papua and Bali.

Unicef also appreciated the enactment of the child protection
law in 2002, but questioned its implementation.

"Unicef encourages the government to ensure the careful
implementation of these good initiatives at all levels," she
said.

She was also concerned about the alarmingly low number of
Indonesian children under five who had birth certificates.

"When you have a situation where only 40 percent of children
have birth certificates, this has major long-term implications
for child protection, child rights and national planning of
services such as schools and health services," she said.