“ACT NOW: LEADERSHIP AGAINST AIDS”

APLF Leadership Advocacy Book Launched in Bahasa Indonesia

Jakarta, 28 November 2005 — UNAIDS Executive Director launched the
Indonesian version of an APLF publication “Act Now: Leadership Against AIDS”
at an HIV/AIDS leadership event todat ay Borobudr Hotel, Jakarta.

“Act Now” is a joint publication of the Asian Pacific Leadership Forum on
HIV/AIDS and development (APLF), UNAIDS, and the USAID-funded POLICY
Project. The publication aims to encourage leaders from across the region to
vigorously combat the epidemic before the situation worsens. It was
originally launched in July 2004 in Bangkok during the International AIDS
conference.

The Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development (APLF) was
established in 2001 by 33 countries in the region to increase leadership
against the HIV/AIDS epidemic through building upon existing efforts and to
keep HIV/AIDS at the top of regional and national agendas. The forum also
aims to promote effective leadership of all types and intensify commitment
at all levels in the region.

The publication interviews various leaders on the challenges their countries
face in responding to the growing AIDS threat that also include several
prominent Indonesian leaders. This Indonesian version especially added a
supplement feature on the HIV/AIDS leadership of Yusuf Kalla, Indonesian
Vice President.

According to the report, there has never been a situation necessitating more
courageous and forthright leadership than today’s HIV epidemic in the Asia
Pacific region. Leaders need to break the silence that fuels stigma and
discrimination by speaking up and taking action on sensitive issues.

“In the face of an HIV/AIDS epidemic, good governance and responsible
political leadership mean talking publicly about sex,” said Chandrababu
Naidu, former Chief Minister of India’s Andhra Pradesh State. “In a society
where there are religious, social, cost and other constraints, it’s even
more vital to have political leadership,” said Anand Panyarachun, former
Prime Minister of Thailand and chairman of the APLF steering committee.

In his interview, Yusuf Kalla called leaders to be bold and act now to
respond to HIV/AIDS epidemic in Indonesia. “Leadership is how we talk about
it openly and handle it openly,” said Kalla.

For example, he stressed the need for leaders to be able to explain how high
risk sexual activities could lead to HIV infection. If people continued to
be engaged in high risk sexual conducts, then leaders should also be able to
encourage the use of condom. A leader, according to Kalla, should not only
say that such activity was sinful, but should also be able to provide
choices of protections. “Leaders should be brave to say it. Then condoms
should be made accessible!” he said.

In China, top-level leaders have made a renewed commitment to AIDS.
According to Vice Health Minister, Dr Wang Longde, before the year 2000 the
country “focused more on economic development and neglected social
development. It is an important lesson we learned from last year’s SARS
outbreak.” He contends, however, that formidable barriers still exist in
China, adding: “Leaders of different levels need to realize the importance
of HIV/AIDS, especially leaders of high prevalence provinces.”

The publication also highlights the need for other streams of leadership -
business leaders, media leaders, community leaders, religious leaders and
women leaders - to play a critical role in mobilizing action against HIV.

Governments must also play their part in encouraging civil society,
nongovernmental organizations, community groups and people living with HIV
to be part of the response. Within government itself, all sectors - not just
health departments - need to view AIDS as their problem, recognizing that
failure to combat the virus will result in loss of economic productivity and
a general deterioration in all sectors of society.

The report points out that leaders can make highly influential decisions
that ensure access to quality information, given that lack of awareness
creates risk. They can also encourage prevention strategies such as condom
use, promote needle exchange programmes and make available access to care,
support and treatment for those affected.

The longer political leaders wait to implement a comprehensive response, the
greater the cost in terms of lives and suffering and the greater the long
term financial burden to national budgets. There is no time to lose.