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."