37 HIV/AIDS cases reported

37 HIV/AIDS cases reported

JAKARTA (JP): There were 37 new HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia
last month, according to official statistics released by the
directorate general for communicable diseases at the Ministry of
Health.

These new cases brought the official nationwide total of
HIV/AIDS cases to 1,080 since the first case was reported in
1987.

In its monthly report, which was made available to the press,
the directorate underlined the danger of sharing needles among
drug users. Of the 37 people know to have HIV/AIDS, four people
have full-blown AIDS and six have HIV.

According to the report, the new cases consist of 12 AIDS and
25 HIV.

Cases of drug users catching the Immunodefficiency Virus
through needle use were first detected last July. Since then, the
health ministry has recorded 16 AIDS and 19 HIV cases.

Last month's cases were reported from Medan (one HIV), Lampung
(one HIV), Greater Jakarta (seven HIV and three AIDS), West Java
16 HIV and eight AIDS) and Irian Jaya (one AIDS). (pan)