Hotels told to post AIDS stickers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to help reduce the number of victims of
\nAcquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the country, the
\nMinistry of Health called on hotel owners throughout Indonesia
\nyesterday to post labels containing warnings of the danger of the
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
A top health official told journalists on Tuesday, moments
\nafter meeting with the Association of Hotel and Restaurant Owners
\non the resort island of Bali, that such a warning is timely and
\nnecessary in the wake of the increasing number of victims of AIDS
\nworldwide.<\/p>\n
Director General for the Prevention and Elimination of
\nContagious Diseases, Hadi Maryanto, said that by the end of last
\nyear, there were some 20 million people worldwide who were
\ninfected by AIDS or tested HIV positive.<\/p>\n
Of the 20 million, around 3.5 million were found in the South
\nand Southeast Asia regions, including Indonesia, Hadi said,
\nadding that the number of victims in those two regions have
\nincreased markedly compared to Europe. He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Official records show that, up to last November, there were
\n360 people who had been infected with the disease in Indonesia,
\n55 of whom have died.<\/p>\n
\"There is nothing wrong with posting labels containing the
\nwarnings in hotel rooms instead of providing the guests with
\ncondoms,\" Hadi said, stressing the need for hotel owners to put
\nthe warnings in their hotel rooms.<\/p>\n
Suggestions made earlier by certain government officials on
\nthe provision of condoms for hotel guests have been criticized by
\nMoslem religious leaders as a disguised encouragement to hotel
\nguests to commit illicit sexual intercourse.<\/p>\n
Noting that Indonesia has never promoted sex tourism, Hadi
\nsaid that suggestions on condoms in hotel rooms were actually
\naimed at preventing the spread of the deadly disease by either
\nthe prostitutes or their customers.<\/p>\n
Hadi was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying that it is
\nimportant to post warnings of the danger of AIDS because \"the
\nprostitution industry can never be eliminated on earth\". (16)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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