Official claims Aceh HIV-free

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