We are limited by resources, says AFA, reacting to Balaji's criticism

Action for Aids (AFA) responded yesterday to criticism that it had not been tough enough in the fight against HIV and Aids, saying that it had done the best it could with the resources it had. 

'We're all not doing a good enough job in tackling the Aids problem in Singapore,' said Mr Brenton Wong, the non-government organisation's vice-president. 

AFA depends mainly on volunteers for the activities it organises, from running an anonymous HIV testing centre and telephone helpline to a variety of support groups for people with HIV and Aids. 'We have been doing what we can in the past 15 years, but we are limited by resources,' Mr Wong said. 'We welcome more partners and the chance to sit and talk to the Health Ministry on expanding our role.' 

He was responding to criticism levelled against AFA by Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Balaji Sadasivan, who told Tan Tock Seng Hospital doctors on Wednesday that Singapore was facing an 'alarming Aids epidemic'. He said the 'explosion in HIV infection' affected mainly homosexuals and heterosexual men who had casual sex abroad.

He also criticised a statement on AFA's website that reads 'Not everyone who has sex contact with an infected person will get infected.' He said the statement was misleading and 'may actually make things worse by promoting unsafe sex'. 

Pointing to a recent surge in HIV infections among gay men, he also said that AFA had failed to educate the gay community about the disease. He urged the Commmunicable Disease Centre at Tan Tock Seng to stop relying on AFA alone, and spearhead future Aids education efforts with other community partners. 

Yesterday, Mr Wong said Aids had afflicted the mainstream population in Singapore a decade ago, and was not confined to homosexuals. 'It's time the country woke up to the fact that Aids is becoming a major problem and affects everyone, not just the homosexual community.' 

 'We need a massive campaign to let people know that it is all right to use condoms. We need to de-link condom use from promiscuity,' he said. 

Mr Wong also recommended government subsidies for HIV medication that can delay the onset of Aids. These can cost between $12,000 and $15,000 a year. Subsidies were even more important for pregnant women, he said. With early treatment, there is a less than 5 per cent chance of the virus being passed from mother to child, according to a KK Women's and Children's Hospital spokesman. Since 1997, 20 HIV infected babies have been born in Singapore. 

Mr Wong said some people refused to get tested to find out their HIV status because they knew they could not afford the treatment. 'Subsidies can help in prevention. People will be more ready to step forward to get screened if they can get help,' he said.