Pubdate: Tues, 11 Jan 2000 Source: Jakarta Post (Indonesia) Copyright: The Jakarta Post Contact: P.O. Box 85 Palmerah Jakarta 11001 Fax: (62) (21) 5492685 Website: http://www.thejakartapost.com 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck