Australia To Grant $40 Million To Fight AIDS In Indonesia

Perth, Australia (AHN)-Australia and Indonesia are boosting not only security cooperation but have also joined hands in stopping the spread of HIV. The Australian government has committed $40 million for the HIV cooperation program for Indonesia.

The program, which starts this year, will give provide better access to medicines and treatment to marginalized Indonesians who are afflicted with the AIDS virus.

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the HIV epidemic in Indonesia is among the fastest growing in Asia. Out of Indonesia's 231.6 million people, 170,000 are afflicted with HIV/AIDS-29,000 of whom are women.

The majority of HIV infections are estimated to occur through the use of contaminated injecting equipment, unprotected paid sex and, to a lesser extent, unprotected sex between men

Based on a survey conducted in 2005, more than 40% of injecting drug users in Jakarta tested HIV-positive and about 13% in West Java. Furthermore, many injecting drug users also buy or sell sex. In 2005, approximately one quarter of injecting drug users in Bandung, Jakarta and Medan said they had had unprotected paid sex in the previous year.