REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Otjih Sewandarijatun *)
The discussion of socio-cultural aspect is growing more important in strategic perspective. Various issues that threaten the national security are likely rooted in this aspect. Such problems, which clearly happened during 2015, might reoccur in 2016. Thus, the crucial question we need to address is: what should Indonesian Government do to overcome such problems? To answer this question, a prior examination on what really happens is required. This article will try to briefly discuss some socio-cultural problems existing in 2015 especially in health and education sectors.
Both health and education sectors have various and complicated issues to deal with. However, there are some that should be prioritized considering the urgency. Some prominent issues in health sector are the spreading of HIV/AIDS, dengue fever (DBD), malnutrition, and lack of health workers in some areas. Meanwhile, some prominent issues in education are the honorary teacher complication, lack of teachers in some areas and lack of education infrastructures.
The Challenges in Health Sector
The HIV/AIDS has spread all over Indonesia infecting all age groups including babies. In NTT, around 105 babies are suffering this disease in Kupang City and Belu Regency. Both are two of five cities with highest HIV/AIDS rate. The other 3 are Sikka Regency, East Flores Regency, and Middle Timor Regency. HIV/AIDS has also spread in Jambi and North Borneo. In Jambi, there is likely 25% increase in HIV/AIDS rate that might happen due to free sex lifestyle. Meanwhile, in North Borneo, there are about 101 people in Malinau Regency suffering HIV/AIDS in which 12 of them are in the age of 16 to 24. In West Borneo, HIV/AIDS cases are found in Mempawah Regency and Sintang Regency. In NTB, there has been an increase from 36 sufferers to 41 in West Sumbawa Regency in 2015. In Timika Papua, the numbers of HIV/AIDS suspects reach 4,243 people in Mimika Regency. 2,361 of 4,243 are infected by HIV while 1,882 are infected by AIDS. In Temanggung, Central Java, there have been around 137 people died due to HIV/AIDS in the period of 1997 to 2015. The spread of this disease also reaches South Lampung whose people are some working as migrant workers abroad. Some other areas are Ternate City (South Maluku), Karo Regency and Labuhanbatu Regency (North Sumatera), Buleleng Regency (Bali), Tomohon City (North Sulawesi), East Flores (NTT) especially in East Adonara district, Wotan Ulomado, Ile Mandiri and Larantuka, Bondowoso Regency (East Java), Wonosobo Regency (Central Java), West Bangka Regency (Bangka Belitung), and Bekasi Regency (West Java). The spread of the virus is due to heterosexual activities, homosexual activities, drugs, perinatal factors, all of which are supported by lack of monitoring in hotel and night life industries including some massage parlors that facilitate prostitution and drug abuse.
Other than HIV/AIDS, there are some other diseases spreading nation-wide in 2015 such as DBD, diarrhea and malnutrition. DBD is endemic to some areas namely South Sumatera – Prabumulih, Central Java – Kudus, Pati, Temanggung, Brebes, East Java – Madiun, Mojokerto, Pacitan, Situbondo, Nganjuk, Batu City, Kediri and Jombang, Lampung – Central Lampung and North Lampung, West Java – Subang, South Borneo – Banjarmasin, Riau – Pekanbaru, Central Borneo – Waringintimur city and Palangka Raya city, West Sulawesi – Poliwali Mandar, Central Sulawesi – Poso, and NTT – South Middle Timor. The main cause of the spread is lack of awareness in society in keeping the environment clean and lack of readiness to the weather extreme change.
Delivering excellent health services is much more difficult due to limited health workers and infrastructures especially in some areas in Indonesia. Lack of health workers is very significant in NTB – North Lombok Regency and West Sumbawa, Maluku – Central Maluku, NTT – Kupang City, and Central Borneo – Seruyan Regency. Meanwhile some other areas cannot optimize their health care services like in Central Kalimantan – Kuala Pembuang and Seruyan, South Borneo – South Hulu Sungai, Kepri – Batam, East Java – Bojonegoro, West Sulawesi – Polewali Mandar, Central Borneo – Palangka Raya, North Sumatera – Nias and Gunungsitoli city, Aceh – Aceh Tamiang, Bali – Bangli.
The Challenges in Education Sectors
Similarly, the education sector has also face various challenges throughout 2015 such as embezzlement case of education fund for poor student, honorary teacher problem, lack of education infrastructure in some areas, allowances payment for teacher certification program and many others.
All these problems sometimes trigger some protests. A protest demanding the allowances payment for teacher certification program happened in Bengkulu while honorary teacher problem has become an issue in Central Java – Wonosobo, NTB – East Lombok and Central Lombok, Southeast Sulawesi – East Kolaka, Central Sulawesi – Palu, East Borneo – West Kutai, and Bengkulu – Kaur Regency.
In addition, Indonesian University Student Union (SMI) rejected the capitalization of education as well Ministry of Education and Culture’s Regulation number 49/2014 on National Standard of Higher Education. They also demanded free school for everybody.
This situation is likely going to continue in 2016. Thus, it requires utmost attention from the government both central and local. The welfare of Indonesians is indeed government’s ultimate responsibility.
Such condition will get worse should the government not act immediately. Poor condition of health and education will lead to poor quality of human resources. While human resources are important part of economic development, disregarding all these problems will only hinder state’s goal to be a prosperous and bring prosperity to all people. The failure to do so then will increase the opportunity for foreign interests to infiltrate our social structure that eventually will create vulnerabilities to our national security.
*) The writer is a researcher at Galesong Institute and LSISI, Jakarta
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