Email of the day: More on HIV in Indonesia

In response to Macolm Cook's post on HIV/AIDS funding in Inonesia, Peter McCawley writes:

The focus on HIV/AIDS in the debate about Indonesian health care is puzzling. HIV/AIDS is important, but is only one of a wide range of key issues in the health sector. Arguably, other health issues are more important for the majority of Indonesians, including the majority of the poor. Problems such as TB, dengue fever, and malaria need attention just as much as HIV/AIDs does.  And the World Bank, in a report on poverty in Indonesia released in 2006 (Making the New Indonesia Work for the Poor) emphasised that 'a focused effort is required to address Indonesia's shockingly high maternal mortality rate'. In addition, almost 50% of the poorest Indonesians in rural areas do not have access to safe water, thus raising the health risks that they face dramatically, and a quarter of children below the age of five are malnourished. HIV/AIDS needs attention in Indonesia, but for the time being various other aspects of health care are probably of even higher priority for the many millions of Indonesians who live below the poverty line.