(9/6/2004)
Antara News Agency reports that the total number of HIV/AIDS cases in the capital city of Denpasar since 1987, when records were first established on the progress of the epidemic, has now reached 261. The report quoted a local volunteer in combating HIV/AIDS as saying that from that total, nine persons have already lost their lives to the disease.
Island wide there are over 3,000 reported cases of HIV/AIDS while nationwide the various estimates of those infected vary from 90,000 to 150,000.
Mangku Karmaya, who coordinates Bali HIV/AID information center, said that almost 33% of those infected in Bali contracted the virus through illicit intravenous drug use, while the remaining 1,900 resulted from sexual contact.
Under-funded community projects continue to disseminate information to the local population on the dangers of HIV/AIDS and how to avoid contamination while work to provide care, counseling and medication to those already infected with the disease.
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