AIDS awareness night in Jakarta

The Indonesian AIDS Foundation, in cooperation with Aid for AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,) will hold an AIDS awareness night on Sept. 15 at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center.

The charity night, featuring musical performances and painting exhibitions, will also be supported by famous Indonesian singers such as Vina Panduwinata, Harvey Malaiholo, Emilia Contessa, Dewi Yull, Ruth Sahanaya and Utha Likumahua.

"For the charity night, we will also present information on AIDS and an interview with Indonesians infected by HIV," Paquita Widjaya, secretary of the organizing committee told a press conference yesterday.

During the AIDS awareness night, a work of noted painter Teguh Ostenrik entitled Love is dangerous will be auctioned and an AFA's theme song called Peduli, Care, will be introduced.

Besides the charity night, the Indonesian AIDS Foundation will soon cooperate with companies in Jakarta to provide more information on the contagious disease and its prevention to their employees.

Seventy-four of a total 263 HIV carriers in the country live in Jakarta. The figure will likely increase to around 2.5 million in year 2000, unless preventions and information on the disease are enhanced.(als)