Indonesia and Vietnam said to face AIDS epidemic

Indonesia and Vietnam said to face AIDS epidemic

SINGAPORE (Reuter): More than one million people in Indonesia and Vietnam may be infected with AIDS by the turn of the century, raising the number of people afflicted in Southeast Asia to more than two million, reports submitted to a regional task force said yesterday.

"The AIDS epidemic in Indonesia could be similar to...Thailand," said a country report on Indonesia presented to an ASEAN task force.

Thailand has said more than one million Thais will be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome, by the year 2000.

"Almost all factors for the spread of HIV exist (in Indonesia) -- such as high-risk sexual behaviour, poverty, high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, a demand for tourist industry, increasing population mobility and many seaports frequently visited by sailors from high-prevalence countries," the report said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Indonesia is the most populous country in the region with 200 million people but has reported only 449 people infected with HIV.

Its report said the number of cases could soar to 750,000 by the year 2000 unless adequate measures are taken.

The AIDS epidemic will also explode in Vietnam, Professor Le Dien Hong, vice-chair of the National AIDS committee of Vietnam, said in his own report to the ASEAN task force.

"By the year 2000, assuming no significant change in behaviour, the cumulative number of people with HIV in Vietnam will be 300,000, including 20,000 people living with (full-blown) AIDS and more than 15,000 dead," Le said.

Hanoi has reported 4,100 cases of people infected with AIDS. Both reports were given behind closed doors and were made available to Reuters by conference sources.

The Philippines has estimated that up to 90,000 Filipinos may be infected by 2000 while Malaysia has at present 16,000 people infected with the virus.

Singapore said in its own report that 477 people were HIV- positive while the oil-rich Sultanate of Brunei said 350 foreigners and eight Bruneians tested positive for AIDS.

The rapid spread of the disease in the region could also cast a pall on the area's economies by killing productive young people, some of the reports said.

The Indonesian report warned against official complacency.

"If HIV transmission cannot be slowed before the year 2000, many development sectors...will be severely affected because the majority of AIDS victims or infected individuals would be people in the sexually active and productive age group," it said.