HIV Infections Increase by 500 Percent

VIVAnews - The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Jakarta grew by 500 percent in the last eight years. Today the figure is up to 25,000.

Head of AIDS Handling Commission (KPA) of Jakarta Rohana Manggala said that in 2000, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS was only 700. It increased five times by September 2008 to 3,761. "They were those who were willing to report," Manggala said on Tuesday, Jan 20.

KPA tries to persuade people who are hiding their condition to report it. Contrary to KPA, the Department of Health predicted that their number reaches 40,000.

"The estimation is based on several variables, such as the high percentage of drug users," said Manggala. "There are also a number of men who are highly risked of being infected HIV/AIDS by virtue of frequenting prostitutes," Manggala said.

Men who are highly-risked of being infected HIV/AIDS in Jakarta reach more than one million, including people on the street, civil servants, members of Indonesian Police and Indonesian Military. Data of KPA showed that most HIV/AIDS sufferers are men between 19 and 25 years of age.

As many as 70 percent of detected HIV/AIDS sufferers were injecting drug users; 29 percent were involved in promiscuity; while the rest mostly acquired it through blood transfusions.

Manggala is hoping that those hiding their condition would report. In addition to being supplied free medicines, 33 local health clinics and 18 hospitals are available.

Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono