On HIV moms

Once again we seem to have confused the figures on HIV infection.

In the article "HIV moms must not breastfeed" (The Jakarta Post, July 17, page 4), it is stated that "based on data from the Ministry of Health, during the 2001-2002 period 14,283 mothers tested positive for HIV."

I cannot guess where these data come from. Current figures from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (I assume we're talking of this country?) show less than 5,000 people in total known to be infected with HIV. The total number of new cases reported in the two-year period 2001-2002 was 1,944, of which 663 were among women.

The report goes on to state that only 1,730 of the babies born to these mothers were infected. In fact, the latest figures show a total of only 21 children under five years old reported to be HIV infected in Indonesia.

You may wish to clarify these figures ...

CHRIS W. GREEN Treatment Educator, Spiritia Foundation Jakarta