Zubairi against discrimination of HIV carriers

Zubairi against discrimination of HIV carriers

By Renata Arianingtyas

JAKARTA (JP): AIDS campaigner Zubairi Djoerban has many
concerns, including some people's tendency to discriminate those
who have Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or the Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

"Even people with a good knowledge about HIV/AIDS do so. They
can't help treating people with AIDS differently," he told The
Jakarta Post recently.

Out of his concern, Zubairi campaigned to familiarize the use
of "Odha", an Indonesian acronym for Orang dengan HIV/AIDS
(people with HIV/AIDS), and "Ohidha" or Orang yang hidup dengan
HIV/AIDS (people living with HIV/AIDS, including the spouse,
children, parents, siblings and friends). He hoped the terms
would eventually replace "HIV/AIDS victims" or "sufferers".

Zubairi's name is inseparable from the Pelita Ilmu Foundation,
a non-governmental AIDS organization. He obtained his doctorate
in France and learned about leukemia when he first came into
contact with people with HIV/AIDS. He became interested in
research about the T-Helper, an element in lymphocytes that
regulates human's immunity system.

Returning home in 1983, he studied the presence of the T-
Helper in the blood of prostituting transvestites in Pasar
Rumput, South Jakarta. He began talking about the syndrome to his
colleagues in 1984. The following year, he began the HIV test at
Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.

In 1987, the first HIV/AIDS positive person was reported in
Indonesia. The foreigner could not return to his country because
all airlines refused to transport him. Zubairi took care of the
patient until after he was well enough to go home.

Zubairi said the experience was an eye-opener. He realized
that the fight against discrimination was an important element in
the campaign against AIDS.

"People with HIV or AIDS are like the rest of us, human beings
who need friends to support their fight against their illness,"
he said.

"They have to face criticism and rejection by society. This is
what makes them feel down and sick," he said.

Together with his wife Sri Wahyuningsih and friend
Symasuridjal, Zubairi founded the Pelita Ilmu in 1989.

Zubairi and the Pelita Ilmu have spent a lot of energy
educating youths on the dangers of HIV and AIDS. Since 1989, it
has provided courses and lectures on the subject for 402 senior
high schools throughout the country.

The problem of funding has been gradually alleviated since
1992, with assistance from AusAid, the World Bank, the British
Council, Ford Foundation, the World Health Organization and the
Indonesian government.

Last year, the Pelita Ilmu launched similar lectures for
junior high school teachers. The Ministry of Education and
Culture later took over the program and incorporated it into the
curriculum.

Zubairi said the vast area of the archipelago and its
population size are obstacles in the AIDS campaign.

Limited funds also hamper many of the programs, including the
provision of medical care for people with HIV/AIDS, training for
volunteers, and public education efforts.

Zubairi said volunteers need to have good communication
skills. "Educating the public about HIV/AIDS is an uphill
battle," he said.

He said many people were aware of the problem, but do not
fully comprehend the situation. They have yet to reach the so-
called "level of understanding" which can motivate them to change
their attitude toward people with HIV/AIDS, he said.

But hard work pays off, he said. He recalled trying to build a
house where volunteers and people with HIV/AIDS could mingle, but
residents in Tebet, South Jakarta rejected the idea. He spent
months negotiating and convincing the locals to change their
minds.

"Now, they are joining us in our support of the Odhas," he
said. "This house proves to society that living with people with
HIV/AIDS is not horrible. It's a good lesson for many people to
learn to treat the Odhas humanely."

He said there was more than one example of increased
awareness. In the past, companies fired employees who were
infected with HIV/AIDS. Many companies have since canceled the
policy, he said.

"Unfortunately, there has been a lax in the enforcement of
laws that could prevent the number of HIV/AIDS people from
increasing," he said, citing lenient sanctions against rapists or
the absence of laws against, among other things, prostitution.

He said that in many developed countries, minors were
prohibited from buying alcoholic beverages, whereas Indonesian
youths could obtain the goods more easily.

"Drinking leads youths to illegal actions, including sexual
intercourse," he said, adding that 70 percent to 80 percent of
HIV cases were caused through sexual contact.

The Pelita Ilmu has so far helped take care of 77 people with
HIV/AIDS. Their average age is 30 years old, with 45.3 percent
from the socioeconomic middle class, 39.1 percent from the lower
class, and 15.6 percent from the affluent.

Fifty-three percent of cases were Moslem, 40.6 percent
Christian, 4.7 percent Buddhist and 1.6 percent Hindu. Three of
them were from Malaysia and Thailand.

Zubairi lectures at the University of Indonesia's Medical
School and heads the Indonesian AIDS Society. His wife and three
children have supported him in the AIDS campaign. Two of his
children, psychology student Dini Nur Astari and senior high
school student Dono Nur Indarto, have been trained as volunteers
for the AIDS campaign.

"I really enjoy being involved in the campaign," Zubairi said.
"The experiences have opened my mind. I have learned about the
meaning of life. And I hope people will do the same thing,
especially for the Odhas, people with HIV and AIDS."