Five million HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia by 2010

Antara News, Monday, November 16, 2009 03:06 WIB

Bandarlampung (ANTARA News) - Three hundred cities and subdisricts across Indonesia would have five million HIV/AIDS cases in 2010, an expert said.

Head of the National Trainer Care, Support and Treatment of Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult illness (IMAI) for HIV/AIDS, Ronald Jonathan, made the remark here on Sunday.

Jonathan said that the number was based on estimation of HIV/AIDS sufferers who came to the hospitals, accounting for not more than one tenth of the total number of people infected with the deadly virus in the country.

"I think that he number of reported cases will reach 93.000 to 130.000 in 2010 which is merely the top of an iceberg, or only 5-10 percent of total number of sufferers in the Indonesia," he said.

He explained that Indonesia from the 1980s to September 2009 had about 18,442 HIV/AIDS sufferers, with a men-women ratio of 3:1.

"The spreading of the disease has also changed, because it occurred mostly by sexual intercourse rather than by the use of syringes," he said.

According to the latest data, Jonathan said, sexual intercourse had now become the most frequent cause of the spread of HIV/AIDS in the society, accounting for 50 percent of the total number of sufferers, while the use of syringes only 40,7 percent, and the spread of the HIV/AIDS among certain groups such as homosexuals and transexuals reached only 3-4 percent.

People aged 20-39 years, he added, were still vulnerable to the deadly virus.

Jonathan underlined the importance to promote awareness and counseling for HIV/AIDS carrier.

"At least we should give them guidance on the importance of regular medication," he added.