AIDS prevention clinic for Bali

DENPASAR, Bali: The Australian government will finance an AIDS prevention and information program in Bali, in association with the East Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi provinces.

The chairman of Bali's AIDS Prevention Commission chapter, I Gusti Agung Mayun Eman, said the model project was organized with the help of the Indonesian Hindu Council (PHDI), Antara reported yesterday.

The council, with assistance from the Ministry of Religious Affairs' district office, pioneered a religious consultation clinic to offer information and services to the public about HIV/AIDS.

"Each person must be given a sense of moral firmness and purity of thought to prevent them from acting against the teachings of their faith," council chief Ida Bagus Wijaya Kusuma said.

I Gusti said that the three-year project had shown satisfactory results in its first year.

Bali, Indonesia's most famous tourist destinations, currently has 39 HIV/AIDS cases.

Jakarta has the highest number of HIV/AIDS carriers, followed by Irian Jaya, Riau and East Java, Antara reported. The most recent official data on HIV/AIDS carriers in Indonesia reported a total of 545 cases up to May 31. (01)