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