Officials, public asked to fight AIDS seriously<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The chairman of the National Commission to
\nContain the Spread of AIDS, Azwar Anas called on all government
\nofficials and the public yesterday to be serious in their efforts
\nto curb the spread of the lethal disease.<\/p>\n
\"I beg you from the deepest part of my heart not to play with
\ngames with the efforts to fight AIDS,\" he was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying at the opening of the national coordinating meeting of the
\nhealth ministry in Ciloto, West Java.<\/p>\n
In developing countries, it costs between US$1,400 and $2,500
\nto treat an AIDS patient, while in developed countries the cost
\nis as high as $30,000, according to Azwar, who is also
\nCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare.<\/p>\n
Serious dedication is critical especially since a vaccine for
\nthe incurable disease has not been found, while medicine to
\nrelieve the pain often tends to reach prohibitive levels, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He called on the meeting to formulate a strategy and devise an
\ninformation system to strengthen the \"family defense system\", or
\nhow to protect themselves, against AIDS.<\/p>\n
As many as 266 people in the country have tested positive for
\nthe Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Azwar said. He estimated
\nthat the actual number of the HIV infected people could be as
\nhigh as 100,000.<\/p>\n
Most of the cases were found in Jakarta and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Eighty five percent of the cases were infected through sexual
\ncontact. The others were infected from disposable syringes and
\nblood transfusions.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Sujudi said that people infected with AIDS
\nshould use condoms to prevent the spread of the virus to their
\nspouses.<\/p>\n
\"This does not mean that we encourage the use of condoms as if
\nit were a cure for the disease, but just to prevent the spread of
\nthe virus,\" Sujudi said.<\/p>\n
The government is planning a massive campaign with a motto of:
\nLegitimate sexual relationship which is based on love. Organized
\nby the National Family Planning Coordinating Board, the campaign
\nis scheduled to be launched in all 27 provinces at the end of
\n1995.<\/p>\n
Sujudi in his speech also said that the health ministry would
\nincrease the number of grass-roots health centers and mobile
\nhealth centers to provide better service for the public.<\/p>\n
On a separate issue, he said that 108 of the 224
\npharmaceutical companies have implemented the \"standard on good
\nmanufacturing practice,\" 91 others are still in the process of
\nimproving the standard, while the rest use the facilities of the
\nother manufacturers to produce the drugs.(sim)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officials-public-asked-to-fight-aids-seriously-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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