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)