Two die of AIDS related illnesses

SEMARANG: Two people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Central Java have died, the chief of the province's health office said.

Both were women who had worked as prostitutes, Sri Astuti Suparmanto told Antara.

Astuti said all but one of the 12 people with full-blown AIDS in the province contracted the virus through sexual contact. The other contracted the virus through a blood transfusion, she said.

People with AIDS face constant official surveillance and are not allowed to travel outside their designated areas. The AIDS teams also ensure that these people regularly check their health condition, she said.

The health office constantly conducts AIDS awareness campaigns, targeting workers and patrons of nightclubs, discotheques and red-light districts, she added. (emb)