East Java AIDS death toll reaches 30

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The death toll from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases in East Java has now officially reached 30.

East Java Deputy Governor Imam Supardi said there has been an increase in HIV/AIDS cases because of local people's lack of awareness.

According to data at the local health office, there have been 423 HIV/AIDS cases reported and 30 have so far died. There was no detailed data on the spread of the disease.

Imam, also chairman of the Anti-drug and -HIV/AIDS Movement Month in the province, said the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the province have increased by between 400 percent and 500 percent since 1999.

"In 1999, only three new cases were discovered every month but from 2000 to May 2002, almost eight new cases were discovered every month. Eighty percent of the cases were transferred through sexual contact, and 12.5 percent through sharing needles," he said.

Nationally, the province has the second highest number of HIV/AIDS cases after Irian Jaya, while Jakarta and Riau are third and fourth.

Imam added the local office of the Anti-drug organization has also noted a decrease in the number of drug abuse cases to 388 in 2001 from 407 in 2000.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to launch a nationwide anti-drug and HIV/AIDS awareness movement on Wednesday. All motorists in the province have been asked to keep their headlamps on all day long to mark the launch.