JEDDAH'S FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000470

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2031
TAGS: KHIV KWMN PINR SA SOCI
SUBJECT: JEDDAH'S FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS

REF: 04 RIYADH 006316

Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller for reason 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (U) Summary. Jeddah's AIDS program coordinator described
the HIV/AIDS problem and her efforts to improve the situation
with awareness campaigns and treatment facilities for the
infected. While Saudi Arabia's confirmed infection rate is
relatively low, she is focused on getting more people tested
and educating the young about the disease. The two major
constraints for improving the HIV/AIDS problem in Jeddah are
limited financial resources and confronting the social stigma
of the disease. End Summary.

A PORTRAIT OF JEDDAH'S HIV/AIDS PROBLEM


2. (U) On June 21, Mrs. Oberwetter, PAO, and Pol/EconOffs met
with Dr. Sanaa Mustafa ((FELIMBAN)),the coordinator of
HIV/AIDS programs in the Jeddah and Mecca regions (reftel) as
well as Director of King Saud Hospital in Jeddah. She had
just concluded a two day conference on AIDS in the Kingdom
where she was the only female participant. Felimban remarked
that while Saudi Arabia's HIV/AIDS infection rate is
comparatively low, she believes there are at least ten cases
that have not been reported for every known case because
people are not getting tested. (Note: The English language
Saudi Gazette recently reported that Saudi Arabia has the
second largest population of AIDS patients in the Arab world.
End Note.) While the majority of the infected are
expatriates, Felimban estimates about 15 percent are Saudi
and that every three days another person is infected.


3. (U) Seventy percent of the Kingdom's HIV/AIDS patients are
in Jeddah, according to Felimban. Of the infected, Feliemban
estimates about 85 percent contract HIV through sexual
contact, 12 percent as the infection is passed from mother to
child, and the rest from drug use. More of the Kingdom's
population is being screened for HIV with testing done before
iqamas (national id card) are issued, inmates go to prison,
mothers give birth, or operations are performed. She said
that most Saudis (both male and female) living in the cities
have access to condoms, but the use of condoms by Saudis is
very rare. Moreover, Bedouins living outside of urban areas
do not even know what condoms are.

TREATMENT EFFORTS AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


4. (U) Currently, Felimban is treating 500 patients with
antiretroviral medication and she thinks that Saudi Arabia
has enough medicine to treat patients. She also runs a
HIV/AIDS treatment program that gives medical, psychological,
and financial support to patients where much of the program
is focused on treating patients' depression. The clinic
offers group counseling so patients can support one another
through their illness and offers testing to the public. The
clinic is advertised via medical referrals and advertisements.


5. (C) Felimban told ConGenOffs that she does not get enough
financial support from the government and private sector.
She thinks the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Health prevents
her from having total control over her AIDS program and she
is thinking of appealing to King Abdullah for more money.
She is also looking to get a sponsor to start an HIV/AIDS
charity. (Note: ConGenOffs learned at a later date that
Waleed bin Zager, a former Jeddah mayor and close contact of
the CG, will be the head planning manager for the charity
which should kick off before Ramadan in late September. End
Note.) Felimban welcomed the PAO's suggestion to participate
in the "Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS" International
Visitor Leadership Program. She is also ready to lead the
Saudi side of a partnership with US organizations on
awareness and research, modeled off the successful "US-Middle
East Partnership on Breast Cancer Awareness and Research," a
new initiative sponsored by the Department.

TRYING TO INCREASE AWARENESS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD


6. (U) Felimban confirmed that HIV/AIDS is a taboo subject in
the Kingdom but she has been successful in increasing AIDS
awareness. Felimban's bold message to conservative Saudis is
"your Islam does not provide immunity from HIV/AIDS." She has
organized activities in observance of World AIDS Day in

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December and had sermons preached in mosques about the
importance of safe sex in marriage and the value of fidelity.
She is particularly focused on increasing awareness among
the youth with advertisements in schools, distribution of
HIV/AIDS information pamphlets, and AIDS awareness programs
in schools. Felimban recognizes the importance for the
Kingdom as a leader in the Muslim world, to speak out about
HIV/AIDS as a problem for Muslims and would like to see more
research done on AIDS in the Kingdom.


7. (U) In a separate meeting with Felimban, PAO introduced
Dr. Majdi Al Tokhi, a consultant of infectious diseases and
Deputy Executive Director of the Al Etkan Group. Felimban is
now working with Tokhi to address HIV/AIDS issues in the
Kingdom. This partnership has allowed Dr. Tokhi, who has
studied in the US and has experience working with infectious
diseases, to work with Felimban as a Ministry of Health
official and bring both of their experiences working on
infectious diseases from the public and private side
together.


8. (C) Comment: Testing will probably continue to be
Filemban's greatest challenge because of the stigma attached
to HIV/AIDS. In Saudi Arabia's conservative society, getting
tested would probably be viewed as confirmation that one is
immoral and not following the teachings of Islam by engaging
in drug use or "deviant" sexual behavior. Considering Jeddah
is a major transit hub, facilitating the spread of infectious
diseases, it is critical that testing become more accepted in
Saudi society. The potential for the Department to partner
with Dr. Felimban in the Kingdom is of particular importance,
as Saudi Arabia is the focal point for 1.3 billion Muslims
around the world, which will add credibility to the need for
HIV/AIDS awareness among Muslim populations worldwide. End
Comment.


9. (U) Bio Note: Felimban, who speaks excellent English, said
that she was the first Saudi woman to become a director at a
Saudi Hospital and the first woman to accompany the Minister
of Health to the World Health Organization summit in Geneva
in 2004. She aspires to one day become Minister of Health.
She mentioned that she was selected to head the HIV/AIDS
program because the previous Health Minister "saw talent" and
tapped her. She added that she thinks Health Minister Hamad
al-Manai is a "good guy" who supports her efforts but does
not have a large enough budget to meet the needs of the
Kingdom. Felimban is 45 years old. She received a bachelor
of the arts from King Abdul Aziz University College of
Medicine in 1984. She then trained in internal medicine in
Scotland and Saudi Arabia. She has worked at King Saud
Hospital since 1990, primarily in the Immunity Department.
She is also a talented sculptor and presented the PAO with an
iron "self-sculpture" of a woman behind bars, as a visual
proposal to the US Mission to help her in " taking down these
bars for all Saudi women." She is working for women's rights
and wants to be a model for promoting professional
opportunities for Saudi women.
Gfoeller