Jakarta Post Publishes Three-Part Series on HIV/AIDS, Corrupt Government Officials, Drug Trade in Indonesia

Indonesia's Jakarta Post on Wednesday published a three-part series on the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country and how "corrupt" government officials might play a role in the country's drug trade. Although injection drug use accounts for many new HIV infections in Indonesia, many Indonesians have been "shock[ed]" that the disease has spread beyond illicit drug users, commercial sex workers and "those at the bottom of the economic ladder" to young female and male university students, according to the Post. The disease "threatens the social system" throughout the country and "millions are in jeopardy," according to the Post. Although many Indonesians are now seeking more information about HIV/AIDS, "reliable and definitive advice remains elusive for most of the nation," and "doctors, hospitals, specialists, experts and medication are all still haphazardly scarce," the Post reports. Indonesia records approximately 34,944 new HIV/AIDS cases annually (Budiharsana et al., Jakarta Post, 10/13). The three articles are available online.