Aids cases number in Indonesia continuing to rise

The Indonesian government said the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country is continuing to increase from year to year.

"About 298,000 people in Indonesia are now suffering from HIV/AIDS," Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said here on Monday.

Agung, who is also chairman of the National AIDS Commission (KPA), made the remarks when he opened a National Condom Week at the University of Indonesia.

Based on data at the Ministry of Health, up to September 2009, a total of 18,422 AIDS carriers were recorded in Indonesia.

He said that at present almost all provinces in Indonesia had AIDS cases. AIDS cases were to be found in more than half of the number of districts in the country.

About 49.57 percent of AIDS cases involved people in the 20-29 years age group, 29.84 percent in the 30-39 years age group and 8.71 percent occurred in the 40-49 years age group.

The coordinating minister said the average HIV/AIDS incidence in Indonesia was 8.15 carriers in every 100,000 people.

The highest number of cases occurred in five provinces, namely Papua 17.9 percent of the national figure, Bali 5.3 percent, Jakarta 3.8 percent, Riau Islands 3.4 percent and West Kalimantan 2.2 percent of the overall number in the country.

He said this fact meant there was a serious threat to the existence of the present younger generation in the country.

Therefore, he said, the government and the non-governmental organizations, higher educational institutions and the people as a whole should cooperate actively in launching a national movement for making people healthy and knowledgeable for the preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. (ANTARA News)