29 NEW HIV/AIDS CASES RECORDED IN DECEMBER

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia recorded 29 new HIV/AIDS cases last month, according
to official statistics.

The directorate general for communicable diseases said in a press statement
that 25 HIV cases and four full-blown AIDS cases had been reported in
December 1999.

The cases were reported by the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) branches in Malang
(3 cases), Surakarta (1), Bukittinggi (1), Lampung (1) and Jakarta (19) and
the rest were reported by hospitals.

Throughout 1999, the HIV cases rose by 178 cases and AIDS by 47. Since the
first case was reported in April 1987, the health ministry has recorded 769
HIV cases and 274 full-blown AIDS cases.

The figures are widely believed to be only the tip of the iceberg.

Separately, director general for communicable diseases control Umar Fahmi
Achmadi, estimated some 10 percent of the 29 new people with HIV/AIDS were
drug users.

Fahmi said that syringes could not now be obtained without a doctor's
prescription, which likely results in drug users having to share needles.
The same syringe may be used several times by different people who are
either unaware or unconcerned the re-used syringe spreads the virus that
causes AIDS and other diseases, he said as quoted by Kompas daily.

The government, he said, is considering medical experts' proposals for the
supply of disposable syringes to drug addicts who are undergoing
rehabilitation programs but have not been able to kick the habit.

Fahmi admitted that the government had yet to adopt more reliable methods
for data collection of the number of people with HIV/AIDS. He said the
immense size of Indonesia's population living in numerous and remote
locations was a major constraint.