Riau ups AIDS campaign

Riau ups AIDS campaign

PEKANBARU, Riau: Officials from the local health office have
been sent to Batam and Bintan islands to carry out blood tests as
part of a new drive against the spread of the Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

An official of the health office, Abdullah Muthalib, said that
the team hopes to take blood samples from between 1,500 and 2,000
people considered to be in high risk groups, the Antara news
agency reported.

The economy of the two islands have been enhanced with the
establishment of many industries. However, along with the
industry came hoards of prostitutes.

Abdullah said this is not the first time that the AIDS
campaign has been focused on the two islands. He said it will
take six months before the results of the tests can be
established since the blood samples must be sent to Jakarta.

There are currently 21 people in Riau who have tested positive
for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which causes AIDS, 13 of
them live in Batam. (emb)