RI gets $30m to combat AIDS

RI gets $30m to combat AIDS

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will obtain $30 million (Rp 65 billion) from the United Nation for Population Activities (UNFPA) to help combat the rapid spread of AIDS in the country, a cabinet minister says.

The assistance will go towards making the government-sponsored campaign a success. The campaign is aimed at making families aware of the danger of the deadly Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

Haryono Suyono, State Minister for Population Affairs/Chairman of the National Family Planning Board said on Thursday that UNFPA has committed to providing assistance for a five year program.

According to official statistics, the number of Indonesian infected by the incurable AIDS has reached 288, but health officials believe that the actual number is a lot higher.

The campaign is held in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, Post, and Telecommunication, which has helped open a hot-line for information on AIDS and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which causes the disease.

The ministry has also sent millions of leaflets calling families to be aware of the dangers of the disease. (29)