Official claims Aceh HIV-free

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: New cases of HIV/AIDS have appeared in most provinces in Indonesia, but an official in Aceh declared the country's westernmost province free of the virus.

The official said here on Monday there were no new cases of HIV/AIDS in Aceh since a case was found in the 1990s.

"The official records show that there has been only one person in the province infected with AIDS, and that happened in the 1990s," said Mulja Hasyimi, the head of the Aceh provincial health office.

Mulja did not say what had become of the person in question.

He said, however, that the administration would continue its AIDS awareness campaign, as well as monitoring areas where the virus could enter the province, such as the Sabang port. -- Antara