Ulemas join fight against AIDS

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Ulemas in the Moslem-dominated province of Aceh are joining the fight against Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) through their Friday prayer sermons, Antara reported yesterday.

"Hopefully, the Friday sermons will help alert Moslem youths about the dangers of (unsafe) sex practices," the news agency quoted H. Zainuddin A.G., the vice governor of Aceh, as saying.

In a written statement delivered by a staff member, Zainuddin called on local Moslem youths to follow religious teaching. He made the call during a discussion on AIDS here Saturday.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of July 1997, a total of 558 cases of AIDS or its cause, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), have been reported in 22 provinces in Indonesia.

Most cases were detected in Jakarta, followed by Irian Jaya, Bali, West Java, East Java and Batam (Riau). Aceh has one person infected with HIV. (swe)