Denpasar Reports 2,408 HIV/AIDS Cases

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The number of HIV/AIDS cases in the Bali provincial capital of Denpasar reached 2,408 as of March 2012, a spokesman said.

"The Denpasar community are heterogeneous and have high mobility so we do not rule out the possibility that the number of HIV/AIDS cases will increase. HIV/AIDS cases are just the tip of an iceberg," Head of the Denpasar City AIDS Prevention Commission (KPAD) I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara said here on Saturday.

The total number of HIV/AIDS cases included 1,218 HIV carriers consisting of 457 women and 761 men, said Jaya Negara, who is also Denpasar deputy mayor at a discussion with journalists.

He said that the number of AIDS cases alone reached 1,190 consisting of 376 women and 814 men.

"We have tried to handle the cases by making all elements of the community including students, cafe workers, massage parlor workers and commercial sex workers aware of the danger of HIV/AIDS," he said.

Meanwhile, Ketut Sukanata, a member of the Bali Provincial AIDS Prevention Commission (KPAD), said the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the resort island of Bali rose significantly every year.

"In 2010, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS reached 4,210. The figure rose to 5,222 at the end of 2011," he said.

Of the total, 1,197 were 20-29 years old, 969 were 30-39 years old, 333 were 40-59 years old, and 19 were less than one year old, he said.(*/T007)