AIDS follows heroin routes

YOGYAKARTA: Asian countries, including Indonesia, have been urged to step up moves to curb the spread of the Human Immuno- Deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which according to the latest survey goes hand-in-hand with the trafficking of heroin.

Samudra W. Nasution of the AIDS Alert Foundation said that the phenomenon had been detected in several countries bordering Myanmar, including China, India and Vietnam.

A recent study had also found similar causes of HIV along the heroin trafficking routes stretching to China, India and Vietnam, and even to the United States, Samudra was quoted by Antara as saying on Wednesday.

Indonesia is feared to become trapped in the circle if it fails to curb drug trafficking and other factors that cause the spread of AIDS spread, he added.

"Although there has been no study conducted on it, initial indications have been found in several towns, such as Sorong, Medan and Surabaya," Samudra said.

He said that Myanmar was now experiencing a double epidemic, namely drug addiction and the rapid spread of AIDS/HIV. -- Antara