HIV/AIDS cases increase in Bali

HIV/AIDS cases increase in Bali

DENPASAR, Bali: Seventy new cases of HIV/AIDS were discovered
in Bali in the first two months of 2003, bringing to 321 the
number of people with HIV/AIDS in the province, a health official
said on Saturday.

Citing a survey by the Bali Health Office, Bali AIDS
Prevention Commission official Tuti Parwati said most of new
HIV/AIDS patients were intravenous drug users or commercial sex
workers.

"We urge people with HIV/AIDS to seek medical treatment of
their own free will and to as much as possible avoid activities
that could spread the virus," Tuti said.

It is not known if all of the new HIV/AIDS patients are
Indonesians.

Bali detected its first HIV/AIDS case in 1987, and the number
of people in the province with the condition has been rising
steadily even since.

As of December 2002, Bali had 251 people with AIDS. Only
Jakarta, Papua, Riau, West Java and East Java have more AIDS
patients. --Antara