Via The International Herald Tribune: Indonesia and Others See 'Embarrassing' Rise in H.I.V. Infections. Excerpt:
A new United Nations report on H.I.V.-AIDS has some encouraging findings, notably dramatic reductions in new infections in southern Africa, although several countries in Asia now have infection rates 25 percent higher than they were a decade ago.
One of those countries is Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation. The health minister, Nafsiah Mboi, called the U.N. findings “so embarrassing,” especially in light of large expenditures on prevention programs in Indonesia.
“I don’t know what mistakes I have made,” she told reporters. “It was shocking to me.”
Statistics from Indonesia’s National AIDS Commission cited by The Jakarta Post show that condom use remains low, especially consistent use among sex workers. Ms. Nafsiah, 72, a pediatrician who was appointed to her post in June, has favored the distribution of free condoms to young people, an effort opposed by conservative lawmakers and religious groups in the predominantly Muslim country.
Cho Kah Sin, the country director for the Unaids agency, suggested that Indonesia’s infection numbers appear higher because the epidemic reached full force there later than it did in other countries.
Another country with worrisome statistics is the Philippines.
Teresita Marie Bagasao, head of the Manila office of Unaids, told The Philippine Daily Inquirer that “while the absolute number of H.I.V. infections in the Philippines is still relatively low, the rate of increase in the number of cases is a cause for concern.”
The Philippine Department of Health said there were an estimated 600 H.I.V. cases in 2001. Last year, the number of new infections was 4,600.I couldn't find the report in The Philippine Daily Inquirer, but when I searched the paper's site for "HIV" and "Bagasao," I got scores of stories going back years, all quoting her as saying more or less the same thing.
