First Lady sad over fast growing of AIDS in Indonesia

First Lady Mrs Ani Yudhoyono expressed sadness over the spread of AIDS in Indonesia which is said to be the fastest in Asia.

The First Lady expressed her sadness when she addressed a students` pledge ceremony on `How To Say No To Drugs and Free Sex` at Halim Perdanakusuma`s Puri Ardhya Garini Hall, here on Thursday.

She said that misuse of narcotics and free sex were not part of Indonesia`s culture and were against the religions professed by the nation.

The First Lady said that according to reports provinces undergoing fastest growing of AIDS were Jakarta, Papua, West Java, East Java, Bali, Central Java, Riau Islands and South Sulawesi.

The Ministry of Health records showed that until September 2007, the number of AIDS/HIV carriers in Indonesia was 16,282, of whom 10,384 were suffering from AIDS and 5,904 others were HIV carriers.

It was reported that the fast spreading of AIDS/HIV infections in Indonesia are due to sharing of contaminated needles (49 percent) and unsafe sex contacts (42 percent).

Mrs Ani Yudhoyono, who was appointed ambassador for HIV/AIDS handling by the National AIDS Council in 2006, said she was sad to see the fast growing of AIDS/HIV cases in Indonesia.