16 EAST EUROPE

POLAND

AIDS Drug To Appear ‘This Year’

AU2301120591 Warsaw RZECZPOSPOLITA in Polish
16 Jan 91 p2

(‘K.F’ report: “Soon a Polish Drug Against AIDS”]

[Text] Good news for sick people: “It is possible that this
year we will receive the first few dozen grams of AZT, a
Polish drug for AIDS patients,” says Dr. Pawel Grieb,
chairman of the Diagnostics and Therapy Development
Fund. This fund, set up last April, is commencing work
aimed at starting the production of this drug.

AZT will be an exact replica of the American drug of the
same name. The original AZT has been officially admin-
istered to AIDS patients since last March. It has not been
patented, which means Poland can produce it. World
medical experts say that at present this is the only drug
that slows down by a factor of several times the devel-
opment of AIDS in people who are HIV positive and
alleviates the symptoms. What is more, it makes it
possible for an AIDS patient to live normally, just like
with diabetes or multiple sclerosis. In the United States,
a year’s supply of AZT costs from $8,000 to $10,000.
One gram costs from $12 to $15.

“The Polish AZT will be just as effective as the American
variety, only much cheaper,” says Dr. Grieb. “However,
according to calculations made last October, about 6
billion zlotys (Z) will be required to produce 100 kg of
AZT per year. Patients with the HIV virus should receive
half a gram of AZT per day, hence the Z6 billion figure.”

But where is the money to come from? Unfortunately,
and at the same time fortunately, money is the only
factor that determines when this drug will appear on our

SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

market. The founders of the fund, who include distin-
guished scientists from the spheres of biochemistry,
medicine, and biology, are doing their utmost to gather
the necessary funds. So far they have gathered Z60
million, mainly from their own pockets. The first signif-
icant donations have come from the Polish Savings Bank
and Polish Telecommunications, but other, richer firms,
well known from television commercials, are silent. So is
the Health Ministry. The Ministry of Industry has
pledged to provide another Z300 million this quarter,
which will permit the purchase of the necessary raw
materials for the production of AZT.

AIDS is a danger to all Poles. Experts say that the
number of cases is doubling every year. In three and
one-half years’ time Poland will have 10 times the
number of AIDS patients it has today, and in six years
time it will have 100 times that number, i.e there will be
100,000 patients.

YUGOSLAVIA

AIDS Commission Registers 174 Cases

AU3001225091 Belgrade BORBA in Serbo-Croatian
21 Jan 91 p 14

[B. P. report: “Yugoslavia Has 174 AIDS Patients”]

[Excerpt] Belgrade—According to the latest figures from
the Federal Commission for AIDS, there were 174
people suffering from this virus in our country at the end
of last year. Most of them are in Serbia, 119 (with 14 in
Vojvodina and 4 in Kosovo), while their are 26 AIDS
sufferers in Croatia, 10 in Slovenia, 6 in Bosnia- Herce-
govina, 2 in Macedonia, and | in Montenegro. Ten of the
patients are foreign citizens. Forty-four sufferers died
last year, of whom 22 had contracted the virus the same
year, while the other 22 had contracted it in previous
years. [passage omitted]



10 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

orphaned by AIDS, manufacturing clinical equipment
such as syringes and gloves and prolonging the life of
those already affected by the disease.

Mr. Museveni made the suggestions yesterday at the
opening of an Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) plant at
Bweyogerere near Kampala. The plant is part of Medi-
phram Factory that produces several pharmaceutical
products.

The President called for intensification of health educa-
tion for the ordinary people to understand the AIDS
disease. “We need to continue informing and sensitizing
the people,” he said.

He said part of the cause for the rampant spread of the
disease in Africa is ignorance on the part of the masses
who go to the extent of attributing the disease to witch-
craft.

He said that it had also been discovered that the spread
of AIDS was being accelerated by the prevalence of other
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Mr. Museveni said
that there should be mass treatment of STDs, adding
they are a major factor in the spread of AIDS.

On the problem of children orphaned by AIDS, the
President said their crucial need was free education,
adding that, “in that way we shall be able to guarantee
their future.” But, he pointed out, the country could not
currently provide free education to all children of school-
going age because of financial constraints.

Mr. Museveni further suggested that those orphaned by
AIDS should be provided with what he called “an
agricultural credit” to help them start life when they
leave school. He also said ways should be found to
induce families to take on orphans so that “we do not
end up building institutional homes for orphans.”

JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

ZAMBIA

Seventeen AIDS Patients Since March in Chadiza

91AF0487A Lusaka TIMES OF ZAMBIA in English
23 Nov 90 p7

[Text] AIDS cases in Chadiza where 17 have been
confirmed since March have alarmed health officials
there who say the figure might just be a tip of the iceberg.

Clinical officer-in-charge of the sexually transmitted
disease (STD) clinic in the district Mr. Francis Muchay-
anshimbi said a number of people suspected to have the
disease had their samples taken to an AIDS screening
centre for confirmation. The results from the centre
might raise the current figure.

He said people had been coming to the STD clinic since
it was opened in February.

“We have 17 confirmed AIDS cases in Chadiza district
alone since March and this is alarming for a small town
like this. We just buried an AIDS victim the other day,”
he said.

Mr. Muchayanshimbi said the problem was difficult to
control because there was no community health educa-
tion on AIDS and family planning in the district and
surrounding villages, most of whom are on the border
with Mozambique and Malawi.

He also cited lack of transport and inertia from some
senior officials in the district as serious set-backs in
bringing awareness to the people about the disease.

Villagers were difficult to control because of alleged
promiscuity in these areas coupled with a lot of move-
ment among the people.

“You can’t tell these people to use condoms because
many of them don’t even know what it looks like in the
first place,” Mr. Muchayanshimbi said.

He had drawn up programmes to form AIDS committees
in the district and villages and hold health talks with
them, but these had not been approved.

“Tam told there is no transport yet there are trucks going
in the same direction for other business. J have tried to
ask if I could accompany these officers so that I could
hold talks with the community but even this has not been
fruitful,” he said.



20 NEAR EAST & SOUTH ASIA

Dr. K.K. Shah, the past president of the Indian Medical
Association and the president of the South Medical
Association, who was the pioneer in launching a move-
ment for the voluntary blood donation way back in 1949,
regrets the unhealthy commercialisation of blood collec-
tion. Private pathologists pay only Rs 50 per bottle but
sell at the rate of Rs 300 per bottle, Dr. Shah adds. He
demanded that government must ban professional blood
donation.

Another serious related development is the increasing
incidents of homosexuality among the youths in the city.
According to Dr. Anugrah A. Parikh, a skin specialist,
LG. Hospital and assistant professor, N.H.I., municipal
medical college, on an average every month at least 70
cases of venereal disease were reported and most of them
are the victims of homosexuality. These youths are either
hotel boys, beggars and youths living in hostels. Such
patients play a major role in spreading the HIV infec-
tion.

The ICMR has directed the surveillance in the state to
ensure that HIV infected persons are correctly and
properly cared for, thereby watching against accidental
infection. Twenty major recommendations have been
framed.

The ICMR authorities have also supplied new kits for
testing the samples to the newly set-up laboratories in
Baroda and Surat.

Plea From West Bengal

91WD0330 Calcutta THE SUNDAY STATESMAN
in English 2 Dec 90 p 9

[Text] The West Bengal Health Minister, Mr. Prasanta
Sur, called upon voluntary organizations on Saturday to
help detect AIDS infected persons among high-risk
groups. Although prostitutes are the most vulnerable to
this dreaded syndrome, the Government’s own
machinery has not been able to screen them adequately,
he said while inaugurating a function organized at Great
Eastern Hotel, Calcutta, by the State Department of
Health and Family Welfare to mark World AIDS Day.

Mr. Sur said that more than 25,000 blood samples had
been screened in West Bengal and only 11 of these were
found to be HIV-positive. Of these, only three were
full-blown cases. This was a very small figure, but
complacence on that count may be misplaced, the Min-
ister said, since large sections of the most vulnerable
group have not been screened to show the real magnitude
of the problem. Also, Calcutta is a high-risk city, since it
has international air and seaports, and is frequented by
foreign sailors, tourists and students.

The Minister also referred to a large number of AIDS
cases that have been sent to West Bengal from Manipur.
These are mostly users of intravenous drugs, who have
caught the infection from hypodermic needles. Mr. Sur
said the syndrome had spread across 182 countries.
India had felt safe because of the orthodox life-style of its

SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

people and their strong family ties, but this sense of
security had been proved wrong.

Dr. M.S. Chakraborty, head of virology at Calcutta
University’s School of Tropical Medicine, said “Women
and AIDS” had been chosen as the topic of the discus-
sion session, since more than four million of the 15
million HIV-positive people in the world were women.
They contract the disease from men who carry the virus
and pass it on to their progeny. That is why it is
imperative for them to take all possible precautions to
avoid sexual contact with AIDS carriers. The other
common routes of contracting AIDS are: contaminated
blood transfusion, contaminated needles and contami-
nated blood products. Dr. Chakraborty and 580,824
blood samples had been screened in India till November
29 this year. Of these, 4,882 had been found HIV-
positive by the ELISA test. The Western Blot method
had confirmed the finding for 4,082 samples. Till August
31, there were 57 full-blown cases in the country, Dr.
Chakraborty said. Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee, head of the
medicine department at Calcutta Medical College and
chief of the State’s AIDS cell, said there are likely to be
at least 100 infected persons for each full-blown case
detected. More than 1,000 persons had been tested
HIV-positive in Manipur, he said. He explained the need
for special precautions for women with the help of slides.
Among others who spoke were Mr Biswanath Choud-
huri, State Minister for Jails and Social Welfare, Dr.
A.K. Chandra, Director of Medical Education, and Dr.
S.B. Dutta, director, Central Blood Bank.

The Chief Secretary, Mr. T.C. Dutt, presided over the
function. Mrs. Lina Chakraborty, Secretary, Health and
Family Welfare, welcomed the participants. World
AIDS Day was also observed by Motivation, a constit-
uent of the Drug and Alcohol Workers Forum, in collab-
oration with the British Council. Two discussions were
organized, one on “AIDS/HIV: Current perspectives”
and another on “AIDS/HIV: Information and infrastruc-
ture.”

AIDS Control Plan, Statistics Told

91WD0379 Madras THE HINDU in English
26 Dec 90 p 10

[Text] New Delhi, 25 Dec—The Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) has prepared a medium-term
plan for prevention and control of AIDS (Acquired
Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) in the country in consul-
tation with the WHO (World Health Organisation).
Involving an outlay of Rs 33 crores, the Government has
decided to implement the control activities in the four
metropolitan cities and the North Eastern States of
Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, which have reported
a rapid increase in HIV infection.

Efforts are being made to secure assistance from bilateral
donors by providing funds through the WHO so that
extra budgetary resources are available for implementing
the plan, according to sources.



SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

ANGOLA

Official AIDS Figures Announced

91WE0167A Luanda JORNAL DE ANGOLA
in Portuguese 5 Dec 90 p 16

[Text] From 1985 through the first half of this year, 191
cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
were reported in Angola, Martinho Sanches Epalanga,
vice minister of health, said yesterday in Luanda.

Speaking at the opening of the exposition for World
AIDS Day, celebrated Saturday, Epalanga said that 72.3
percent of the cases fell in the age bracket from 20 to 39
years and 42 percent were females.

“The Organization of Angolan Women (OMA) thus has
a relevant and vital role in providing counseling and
psychological support for HIV-positive individuals and
AIDS patients,” Epalanga said.

He added that the OMA has a role in offering suitable
measures and education regarding the prevention of
sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, and in
mobilizing and organizing community groups focusing
on women’s health.

Elsa Montes, director of the program for AIDS preven-
tion in Angola, said it was impossible to monitor the
number of fatalities because the victims often die at
home without ever having reported to a health unit.

She added that laboratories for AIDS analysis are being
set up in Cabinda, Huila, Malange, Uige, Lunda-Norte,
Huambo, and Benguela Provinces, in addition to the
laboratory in Luanda Province.

On that occasion, Olivia Torre, a biologist in the AIDS
referral laboratory, presented a draft bill to the vice
minister of health for the creation of an independent,
non-governmental association for struggle against AIDS.

The exposition, open to the public until 7 December in
the Biblioteca Nacional, shows a wide variety of
methods for preventing AIDS.

KENYA

‘Alarming Rate’ of AIDS Cases Reported in South
Nyanza

EA3101180591 Nairobi Domestic Service in English
0600 GMT 31 Jan 91

[Text] There is an alarming rate of AIDS cases in South
Nyanza [western Kenya] with a monthly average of 40
cases confirmed at the Homa Bay District Hospital
alone. The hospital superintendent, Dr. Ambrose Mis-
ore, said that the recorded figures were a reflection that
hundreds of other people had not presented their cases
for screening and were knowingly spreading the virus.
He said that South Nyanza with Kisumu were leading in

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 1

AIDS cases due to the region’s proximity to neighboring
countries where high incidents of the disease have been
reported.

Dr. Misore disclosed this when he addressed an opening
ceremony at an AIDS seminar organized by the national
AIDS program in Homa Bay. The seminar was officially
opened by the Nyanza provincial medical officer, Dr.
Omolo, on behalf of the director of medical services,
Professor Joseph Oliech.

MADAGASCAR

Bishops Criticize Use of Condoms

91WEO149A Antananarivo MADAGASCAR TRIBUNE
in French 29 Nov 90 p 3

[Article signed M.R.: “Fight Against AIDS: Madagas-
car’s Bishops Criticize the Use of... Condoms...”]

[Text] The proliferation of AIDS and the ravages it
makes in human societies have led authorities to look for
effective solutions to curb the increasingly alarming
spread of the disease. Throughout the world as well as in
Madagascar, although the use of condoms as a means of
protection against the disease that has been called the
plague of the century (because it is incurable and fatal)
may not be widespread, it is strongly recommended by
the medical profession. That was also the case at the IHS
[Social Hygiene Institute] workshops organized on four
consecutive days last week.

In this respect, the IEC commission (Information, Edu-
cation, and Communication) appealed to female prosti-
tutes to report to the IHS to get free condoms. For
similar reasons, high-risk women would have to submit
to severe and strict controls. We even learned that, in the
next few weeks, such “small equipment” against AIDS
would be distributed free of charge in the vicinity of
major thoroughfares, the objective being of course to
alert public opinion to the dangers of this social scourge.

But, faced with this, religious-minded women went up in
arms, and the Bishops Conference sounded the alarm
against this abusive and immoral use of condoms. In the
first part of their letter (published in LAKROA of 18
November 1990) to Public Health officials, they stated
that AIDS is a function of the behavior of individuals in
society. It would therefore be a mistake and evidence of
immorality to let people believe that it is enough to use
condoms to be protected against the disease. Rather, one
should demand of the young and of adults that they learn
to make the difference between pleasure and duty. Then
AIDS would no longer be a matter of public health, but
rather and far more a matter of compliance with
accepted standards of good behavior.

Thus, they say, the promotion of condom use is just
another way of debasing man, like other most humili-
ating precautions... Finally, according to the bishops,
the solution that should be advocated should rather



JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

BRAZIL

Over 15,000 Infected With the AIDS Virus

PY0802141691 Brasilia Domestic Service in Portuguese
2200 GMT 7 Feb 91

[Text] The number of AIDS cases in Brazil is increasing
because 588 new cases were detected over a period of
barely two months. The total number of people infected
with the AIDS virus in Brazil is 15,137.

cU

A

AIDS Hospital Opens in Guantanamo, 18 Cases
Reported

FL2901010091 Havana Radio Reloj Network

in Spanish 2042 GMT 28 Jan 91

{Text] A new hospital for AIDS patients was opened in
Guantanamo. This hospital, which treats seropositive
patients, is treating 18 AIDS carriers who reside in this
province.

Although some sectors of the hospital are still under
construction, the AIDS patients are treated by an
internal medicine specialist, a psychologist, five nurses,
and one social worker.

These patients have access to play rooms, video rooms,
comfortable rooms with air conditioners, television sets,
and other recreational areas.

The majority of AIDS victims in Guantanamo Province
are between 15 and 30 years old. Several married couples
have also been affected by the disease. All of these AIDS
patients are undergoing an efficient medical treatment
that is paid for by the state which spends up to $8,000
per year per person.

German Professor Contends AIDS Virus Created
by Pentagon

PA2401213091 Havana International Service

in Spanish 0000 GMT 24 Jan 91

[Text] The AIDS virus was created in the central labo-
ratory of the Pentagon for biological warfare, Dr. Jacobo
Segal, professor emeritus of the Humboldt University of
Berlin, has stated. Segal said that such a theory is
supported by many scientists and has not been refuted.

According to the specialist, AIDS is a combination of the
animal virus visna and the human HTLV. This combi-
nation, he said, is not produced naturally, but through
gene technology, to permit the attack on human immune
cells.

LATIN AMERICA 17

DOMINICA

AIDS Committee Chairperson Outlines Priorities

FL0602155591 Bridgetown CANA in English
1311 GMT 6 Feb 91

[Text] Roseau, Dominica, Feb 6, CANA—
Newly-appointed chairperson of Dominica’s National
AIDS Committee, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says those who
think the scare is over and that the disease is no longer a
priority are fooling themselves.

“AIDS is very much with us,” she told reporters. “We
have had 13 cases to date, and we expect the number of
cases will continue to rise because we think that trans-
mission is continuing. And I think we are fooling our-
selves if we feel that the problem is over—it’s very much
with us.”

She has identified two major priorities in the fight
against AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

“First (is) the decentralisation of the AIDS programme,”
she explained. “That means getting all health workers to
accept the AIDS problem as their problem, and to
integrate the AIDS control into national health pro-
grammes.”

Etienne, who is director of primary health care services
in Dominica, says the second priority will be to broaden
the base for community education.

“We aim to do that through the setting up of a national
AIDS army.... where we will infiltrate every institution,
every workplace, every youth group, everywhere that

people gather.

“And we will enlist soldiers for AIDS. And these people
will be our mouthpieces... and they will be supported by
training and dissemination of information,” Etienne
added.

Etienne has advised that with the carnival season in
swing Dominicans guard against the kind of behaviour
which can lead to contraction of AIDS.

HONDURAS

Sharp Increase in AIDS Predicted

91WE0148A San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in Spanish
30 Nov 90 p 19

[Excerpt] Tegucigalpa—Honduras, a country with the
greatest incidence of AIDS in Central America, will
record at least 35,000 confirmed cases of the deadly
disease, including 1,000 children under a year old, by
1995.

The horrifying figures were provided by the country’s
top-ranking health authorities on the occasion of the
First National Congress on AIDS, which has been under
way in this capital since last Thursday.



JPRS-TEP-91-003

12 February 1991 NEAR EAST & SOUTH ASIA 23

not understand why tests must be at the expense of the
Health Ministry’s meager budget. Why doesn’t each
insured person’s health insurance program [assume the
cost], as is the case with any other blood test, inasmuch

as the health insurance programs have an interest in
knowing if an insured person is a virus carrier, because
early detection clearly prevents expensive hospitaliza-
tion and treatment?“



JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

INDIA

More on Developments in Fight Against AIDS

Spread Into Gujarat

91WD0330 Bombay THE TIMES OF INDIA
in English 3 Dec 90 p 11

[Article by Gautam Mehta: “Gujarat Faces AIDS
Scare”]

[Text] Ahmedabad, December 2—The dreaded AIDS is
no more a distant danger. Incrementally but menacingly
it is inching its way towards Gujarat.

The number of people carrying the AIDS virus in the
state has increased from only 26 last year to 510 today as
per the data from the serosurveillance for human
immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) infection being con-
ducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) at the B.J. medical college here.

This makes Gujarat fourth in the country—after Maha-
rashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu—in terms of increase in
the number of AIDS-carriers.

All over the country till October 30 as many as 4,70,118
{as printed] people have been screened for HIV anti-
bodies (AIDS infection). Of these, 2,600 have been
confirmed to be seropositive by the National Institute of
Virology (NIV), Pune.

The ICMR officials fear that the figure of 510 AIDS-
carriers may be just the tip of the iceberg, and the
number of people carrying the AIDS virus will be much
more if the surveillance is intensified throughout the
state.

The ICMR officials have also indicated that more than
50 percent of the HIV infections detected in the state will
turn out by 1995 to be fully-developed cases of actual
AIDS patients.

A study of the reports of all the 510 HIV-infected people
in the state by the senior doctors of the surveillance
centre has revealed that it is the professional blood
donors and heterosexually promiscuous persons who are
the most serious source for the spread of the AIDS virus.

Out of 510, as many as 430 HIV-infected people are
from Surat alone and all of them are professional blood
donors. It has also been revealed that most of these
donors constitute a floating population and have come in
contact with prostitutes in Bombay, Surat and Baroda.

Similarly, 11 non-resident Indians, living in the state
(two from Raikot amd Nadiad each and one from
Jamnagar, Baroda, Bulsar and Godhra each) have been
found to have HIV infections. Two females and a male
from Bulsar town, who received blood transfusions from
professional blood donors from Baroda, whose samples
were sent to NIV, Pune, have been confirmed as serop-
ositive cases.

NEAR EAST & SOUTH ASIA 19

Five professional blood donors from Mehsana, Anand,
Rakjot, Jamnagar, and Bhavnagar each are reported to
have contracted the HIV infection after having sexual
relations with prostitutes.

It is noteworthy that two girls and a boy have been
confirmed as seropositive HIV-infected cases. These
three include a five-year-old child who was suffering
from thalassemia (requiring repeated blood transfusion)
who had to receive 36 bottles of blood from professional
blood donors in the private laboratories and four in the
Indian Red Cross society laboratory.

Similarly a seven-year-old girl had received 50 bottles of
blood from the professional blood donors. By the time
their parents took her to the Indian Red Cross society, it
was too late. A senior doctor of the Indian Red Cross
society said that the girl who was confirmed to be
HIV-infected, was now in the process of becoming an
AIDS patient. She has been given 22 bottles of blood
from the voluntary donors in the society’s laboratory.
This girl was also a thalassemic case.

The third case is of a six-year-old girl, who had received
80 bottles from professional donors in the city as she was
also a thalassemia patient. The problem, some doctors
feel, will only aggravate as private laboratories remain
indifferent to medical ethics as well as to the govern-
ment’s directive to test all blood samples. Exceptions are
only a handful.

Ina private laboratory in the Lal Darwaja area, when it
took its job seriously, it suspected six voluntary blood
donors of HIV infection. The owner of the laboratory
said that he had tested the blood samples of these six
donors and sent them to the NIV, Pune, which later
confirmed the cases as seropositive HIV-infection.

However, the owner of the laboratory does not want his
establishment to be identified in this paper as he is only
one among all the private laboratories in the city to be
following the government’s directive to test each and
every blood sample. The owner has already received a
threat of dire consequences from the medical fraternity
that he must stop testing the blood samples as nobody
was following the government directive.

This alliance of convenience between professional
donors and private laboratories is threatening to cast its
malignant shadow over Gujarat.

What some observers believe to be a very pernicious
development is the involvement of professional touts in
this business. An investigation into the reckless business
of a startling fact is that private pathologists encuse
beggars, drug addicts, drunkards, heterosexuals, promis-
cuous persons and hotel boys to donate blood.

A senior official of the surveillance centre says that the
beggars sitting in front of a restaurant near Patwa Sheri
in the Karanj area are regularly summoned for donating
blood.



14 EAST ASIA

Surat Thani HIV Cases

91WE0186A Bangkok THE NATION in English
10 Dec 90 p A2

[Article: “500 Test Positive for AIDS in Surat Thani”]

[Excerpt] Over 500 people in Surat Thani province are
among the 22,533 people in Thailand known to be
infected with AIDS, a senior provincial doctor said
yesterday.

Surat Thani’s Muang district is the area most threatened
by AIDS, according to the findings of a three-year
survey. Other AIDS-threatened areas are Koh Samui,
Ban Na San, and Phunphin districts.

Dr. Charoen Boonchai from Surat Thani said only Ban
Ta Khun and Khiensa districts were free from AIDS,
adding that most of the 508 people found carrying the
HIV virus were prostitutes and drug addicts. [Passage
omitted]

VIETNAM

Anti-AIDS Programme in Ho Chi Minh City

BK2401155691 Hanoi VNA in English 1450 GMT
23 Jan 91

{Text] Hanoi VNA Jan 23—An anti-AIDS programme
was initiated recently in Ho Chi Minh City.

Under the programme, a consultative centre which is
ready to answer any phone call inquiring about AIDS
and an AIDS department at the tropical disease centre
will be set up. The propaganda about AIDS will be
stepped up so as to help everybody know how to prevent
the disease. Besides, mass organizations and public
offices in the city will be mobilized to participate in the
Programme. An anti-AIDS day will be organized
troughout the city.

AIDS Scare Spurs Solution to Drug Problem

BK1701041491 Hong Kong AFP in English 0337 GMT
17 Jan 91

[Article by Leo Dobbs]

[Text] Hanoi, Jan 17 (AFP)—Vietnam’s first AIDS scare
has put a spotlight on the mounting menace of drug
addiction in a country where opium smoking is legal, so
long as you grow it yourself.

Drug abuse is “the concern of everybody and, especially
for our city, is the main problem which we have to solve
in the future,” Vuong Tuoc, director of the Hanoi human
aid programmes, said in a recent interview here.

Truong Quang To, head of a Hanoi treatment centre for
drug addicts, called drug abuse a “social evil” which he
said authorities “have to put much attention into solv-
ing.”

JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

But Mr. Tuoc pointed out, “now we have a new task—to
study whether AIDS is present in Vietnamese people.”

Vietnam’s first case of Acquired Immune Deficiency
Sydrome (AIDS) was discovered in southern Ho Chi
Minh City early last month.

A 30-year-old woman tested positive as she was pre-
paring to emigrate to Australia. Those who have tested
Positive to the virus can develop full-blown AIDS, for
which there is no cure.

Informed sources said she probably caught the virus
from a Vietnamese exile who returned home from West
Germany for a month in 1988, adding that she likely had
a number of other sexual partners afterwards.

The AIDS virus, which is transmitted by contaminated
blood, breaks down the body’s immune system. Highest
risk groups are homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts
who inject themselves with used needles and blood
transfusion patients.

Mr. To said drug abuse “creates AIDS and other dis-
eases, including liver problems, through injections.”

He said there were between 4,000 and 5,000 regular drug
users in Hanoi, compared to more than 10,000 in Ho Chi
Minh City, which was known as Saigon before North and
South Vietnam were reunified in 1975.

This compared to about 600 here in 1954, when the
north gained independence from France, and less than
100 between 1954 and 1975, Mr. To asserted.

Mr. Tuoc compared the rapid increase to reunification
with the south, which had a large drug culture when U.S.
armed forces were based there. The launch of Vietnam’s
open door policy in the late 1980s also made it easier for
traffickers to import narcotics such as morphine and
heroin.

Mr. To said such drugs could not be found in Vietnam
and “now we are trying to find the source.” Both officials
said drugs came from Thailand, Laos and even China to
the north. Marijuana is imported from Cambodia, they
said.

“In Hanoi, opium is the most popular drug, then mor-
phine,” said Mr. To, adding that illegal opium dens were
still doing business in the capital.

Home-grown opium comes from northern mountainous
areas bordering China and Laos and, paradoxically, it is
not a crime to smoke opium so long as you grow it
yourself.

Selling it to others or inducing others to smoke opium is
a crime punishable by stiff jail sentences.

Mr. Tuoc noted that punishment for trafficking was
tough but “compared to the laws in Iran it is not tough,
as there they kill people—here we only put them in jail
for 20 years.”



6 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

* No visitors to an Overvaal resort will be permitted in
the water without a foot bath and a shower; and

* Stricter enforcement of the deadline by which day
visitors must leave a resort.

There is no better decontaminating agent for water than
ozone. This is a very expensive process, but it is being
applied in cooperation with the CSIR, Mr. Basson said.

Water samples from all resorts are sent to the CSIR ona
weekly basis. “It is even tested for things that have never
even appeared yet.”

“There is no proof that AIDS can be transmitted by
water. If the AIDS virus ends up in our swimming pool
water, it will be destroyed automatically,” Mr. Basson
said in response to a question.

Rumors of crowding by nonwhites have their origin in
“people who do not come to relax, but rather abuse the
opportunity to engage in politics.”

Recent allegations that white vacationers at the Sybrand
van Niekerk resort actually could not get into the swim-
ming pools due to crowding are totally false, Mr. Basson
said.

“Not a single nonwhite has visited that resort since the
opening up to all races. Every day, we get phone calls
from people who have reserved places for the December
vacation and are now concerned about this.

“They usually heard from a sister or someone that you
can barely move at Tshipise, for example, that whites are
allegedly being trampled on.

“Since the opening up of our resorts, there have only
been six nonwhites at Tshipise. Four nonwhites have
visited Eiland,” Mr. Basson said.

And at Warmbad, there are between 30 and 70 non-
whites on weekends. “These are people who behave
especially well and try to fit in with the other vacation-
ers,” Mr. Basson said.

All accommodations, aside from a number of parking
sites for recreational vehicles, are already booked for
December. Not one of those reservations is for non-
whites, Mr. Basson said.

“There is no intimidation going on. Such rumors must
be rejected with the contempt they deserve,” Mr. Basson
said.

Some people feel that the current and planned construc-
tion of more fences, gates, and control points is “unnec-
essarily irritating.”

However, this is not in order to discriminate against
people, but rather to have control over facilities so that
visitors of all population groups can enjoy the greatest

amount of safety.

Much stronger action will be taken against anyone whose
behavior is “socially unacceptable,” Mr. Basson said.

SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

AIDS Spreading Among White Teens

91WEOISSA Johannesburg SUNDAY TIMES
in English 2 Dec 90 p 13

[Article by Ryan Cresswell: “Scores of Teenagers Are
Carriers of AIDS”]

[Text] AIDS is spreading among white schoolchildren
because they are largely ignoring the threat of the dis-
ease, health officials warned this week.

The warning came after Liz Towell, manager of the
AIDS Training and Information Centre in Durban,
disclosed that a white, 17-year-old schoolgirl from a top
school had been confirmed HIV positive.

Mrs. Towell said she had also personally counselled
many recent school leavers who had been HIV infected
while at school.

She said one girl from a top school needed counselling
because she was afraid she had contracted AIDS from
one of five sexual partners. Experts believe the girl’s
sexual behavior is not the exception.

A Cape Town doctor said he was sure there were
“scores” of schoolchildren in Johannesburg, Durban and
Cape Town who were HIV-positive.

“There are no exact figures available for schoolchildren,
but it’s more than reasonable to assume that scores of
children are infected with the HIV virus in the main
cities,” he said.

“Perhaps even smaller towns have this problem.

Active

“Teenagers are increasingly sexually active and statistics
have shown there is a very low level of AIDS awareness
among them,” said the community health specialist.

Dr. Steve Knight a member of the Natal AIDS Working
Committee and the Progressive Primary Health Care
Group, said teenagers were not curtailing their sexual
activities because of the AIDS threat.

“Fear tactics and sensational figures will not help us
here,” he said.

“Until we get into the classrooms to pass on knowledge
and statistics about AIDS, and unless we teach school-
children how to cope with AIDS, we are not going to
succeed in the fight.”

Risk
“Adolescents do not really perceive AIDS as a personal

threat. The interesting thing about the disclosure of the
17-year-old schoolgirl is that girls are particularly at risk.

“Their friends are usually older. There is a lot of sugar-
daddying going on, especially in the black community.”



26 WEST EUROPE

may pass along the defective gene to their children, they
do not show symptoms of the disease.

Vancouver Needle Exchange

91WE0161 Ottawa THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
in English 14 Dec 90 p Al3

[Text] Vancouver—The downtown east-side needle
exchange now is the largest service of its kind in the
world and one of the cheapest and most successful in
fighting AIDS among intravenous drug users, says the
exchange’s director.

Drug users who swap their dirty needles for clean ones at
the exchange are four times less likely to test positive for
the HIV virus that causes AIDS than are clients of
similar services in Montreal and Toronto, said John
Turvey.

The needle exchange, which started two years ago, gave
out 37,000 needles last month to about 1,000 users of
cocaine and other illegal drugs. It got about 90 percent of
them back after they were used.

ITALY

Recent AIDS Study Discussed

91WE0170B Milan PANORAMA in Italian 16 Dec 90
p 157

[Article by Gianna Milano: “Keep an Eye on the Bisex-
uals”—first paragraph is PANORAMA introduction]

[Text] A survey of the gay population reveals the role
played by casual and bisexual partners in the spread of
this infectious disease.

To what extent, and in what way, has the spread of AIDS
changed the behavior of Italian gays? “The homosexuals
were the first to be hit by the disease and then were the
first to mobilize to contain it,” declares Hartmut Sasse,
of the AIDS operational center of the ISS [Higher
Institute of Health], who in conjunction with the ARCI
Gay of Bologna has just completed the first Italian
survey of a sample of 1,340 homosexuals (average age
28) contacted in the discotheques, bars, saunas, and
other gathering places in 12 Italian cities. “Their sexual
habits quickly changed,” Sasse says. “Today, we esti-
mate that in 1989 more than 70 percent of gays with
casual partners have used condoms.”

In order to be able to evaluate behavior as it relates to
infection with the HIV—the AIDS virus—the
researchers distributed 3,000 questionnaires, 1,444 of
which were filled out and returned anonymously. The
survey used only 1,340 of them, however (the rest were
discarded because they did not give the information
requested). Of the 1,340, 710 were from the north, 291
from central Italy, and 339 from the south. “In 50
percent of the cases the changes in sexual habits took
place the same year in which the gays heard about the

SIPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

HIV infection for the first time, or no later than the
following year,” says the sociologist and sexologist
Alberto Bigagli, who developed the study in association
with Sasse.

The most important change related in fact to the use of
the condom: In the case of a couple in a stable relation-
ship the percentage was 48 percent, compared to 72
percent if the sexual encounters were promiscuous.
These percentages are high if you consider that among
drug addicts only seven percent use condoms in every
sexual encounter and 34 percent use them occasionally,
according to data from the Higher Institute of Health.
“Only 14 percent of the Italian population as a whole,”
Bigagli says, “use condoms.”

According to the report presented to the National AIDS
Commission, a reduction in the number of partners
occurred less frequently: Seventy-five percent of those
interviewed had casual as well as stable partners.
“Approximately two-thirds of the gays reported that they
had changed their personal sexual habits, but a detailed
analysis revealed the persistence of high-risk behavior in
approximately half of the samples,” Sasse says.

Of 7,576 confirmed cases of AIDS in Italy, homosexuals
account for 839 and bisexuals 310. One-third of those
interviewed in the survey reported that they had sexual
intercourse both with men and with women. “This is a
window for the heterosexual transmission of the virus
that has consistently been undervalued by the public
health authorities,” alleges Franco Grillini of the ARCI
Gay of Bologna, who collaborated in the survey. “In the
places where gays gather,” he says, “you will consistently
find that about 30 percent of those present are bisexu-
als.”

According to the most recent data from the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, three percent of the
AIDS cases among women must be attributed to sexual
intercourse with bisexual men. According to James Cur-
ran, who heads the AIDS program at the CDC in
Atlanta, cases of AIDS among women have increased by
29 percent compared to 18 percent for men. “Intercourse
with drug addicts does account for 20 percent of all
cases,” Curran says, “but there are now quite a few men
in circulation who purport to be heterosexuals but who
in reality are able to transmit the virus.”

Moreover, 50 percent of the homosexuals interviewed
for the survey conducted by the AIDS Operational
Center and the ARCI Gay, have undergone at least one
test for the antibodies of the AIDS virus. “But after
supplying the result, in half of the cases no information
is provided concerning the disease or the risks it entails
for the partner as well,” says Grillini, who is now
campaigning to open a consulting room in each of 10
Italian cities where anyone having problems can go for
help. “There are no high-risk categories, only high-risk
behavior,” Grillini continues, “and to date little has
been done in the area of prevention: In 1988 Minister of
Health Carlo Donat Cattin gave us 250 million lire for



IPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

years towards the West African nation’s programme to
fight Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS),
Britain’s Minister for Overseas Development Mrs.
Lynda Chalker said here Friddze made the statement
while signing an agreement for a fresh 1.5 million
pounds grant toward the Nigerian national AIDS pre-
vention programme. Britain has contributed 70 million
pounds towards fighting AIDS and is the world’s third
largest contributor to the World Health Organisation
(WHO) programme, she said. Nigeria this year is plan-
ning to increase its AIDS screening centres from 21 to
32, said Minister of Finance and Economic Develop-
ment, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji. [Passage omitted].

SENEGAL

Since 1986, 425 AIDS Cases, 125 Deaths

91WEO168A Dakar SUD HEBDO in French
29 Nov 90 p9

[Article by Aly Coulibaly: “The Problem Worsens”; first
paragraph is SUD HEBDO introduction]

[Text] On 1 December the international community will
hold the Third World Day of Struggle Against AIDS. For
the 1990 meeting the theme adopted, “Women and
AIDS,” reflects the exponential growth of the AIDS
epidemic among women. According to the WHO, more
than 3 million women suffer from AIDS out of more
than 8 million recorded cases. In many countries in
Africa south of the Sahara and in the Caribbean the high
incidence of AIDS among women leads to the infection
of the newborn and a considerable level of infant mor-
tality.

When the human system contacts the AIDS virus (HIV),
it secretes antibodies that indicate the presence of the
virus in the blood. Up to seven years may go by between
initial infection and the terminal stage of AIDS
(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The Sene-
galese National Committee for the Prevention of AIDS
established in 1987, is working to limit the damage. The
committee includes a coordinating body and specialized
groups. Already active are a group of blood donors, an
education and health group, and a clinical group
equipped to meet the medical, psychological, and social
needs of those suffering from the disease. The latter
group, headed by Professor Awa Marie Coll Seck, is
caring for infected persons at Fann central hospital.

The group monitoring blood epidemiology, headed by
Professor Souleymane Mboup, is charged with carrying
out tests on sexually transmitted diseases (STD), infec-
tious diseases, pregnant women, and other persons.

Between 1986 and November 1990, 425 persons were
identified as suffering from AIDS, 125 of whom died,
according to a statement by the Senegalese National
Committee for the Prevention of AIDS. This situation is
due to a real public health problem and a lack of
education among the people. These facts are recognized

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 3

by Prof. Coll Seck, who states that enormous resources in
all fields must be made available to halt this scourge
quickly.

These concerns are justified by figures published in June
1990 on the prevalence of AIDS in Senegal. The results
of research have proved that 0.3 percent of blood donors
are HIV positive, compared to 7.0 percent in Ivory
Coast. About 1.2 percent of all pregnant women in
Senegal are HIV infected, compared to 10 to 12 percent
in Zaire. In Senegal 6 percent of sick persons carry the
virus, compared to 70 to 80 percent in Ivory Coast or in
Zaire. In Senegal about 4.6 percent of those suffering
from tuberculosis and 2.4 percent of those suffering from
STD have AIDS. The incidence of AIDS is increasing
among prostitutes, affecting 15 percent of the total
number in Senegal, compared to 80 to 90 percent in
Burundi and Kenya. Within Senegal some studies have
demonstrated that 30 percent of the prostitutes in Zigu-
inchor and 37.8 percent of the prostitutes in Kaolack are
HIV positive. The incidence is greater in the southern
part of Senegal. When they look at the figures from other
countries, many Senegalese think that there is no danger
in delaying action. Prof. Awa Marie Coll Seck, from
Fann central hospital, has emphasized: “If proper advice
had been followed in those countries, we would not be in
the present situation. In view of the increase in the
incidence of AIDS in Senegal we should take immediate
action.”

AIDS has become the principal cause of death among
women between 20 and 40 years of age in the large cities
of Europe, America, and Africa south of the Sahara. It is
estimated that during the decade of the 1990’s AIDS will
kill between 1.5 and 3 million women. Aware of this
impending disaster, which hangs like a sword of Damo-
cles over the heads of a substantial proportion of the
female population, the SWAA (Society for Women and
Mothers Helpers in Africa) is sponsoring a benefit per-
formance, the income from which will help to care for
HIV-infected persons and orphans whose parents died
from AIDS. The program will be held on 30 November
in Sorano.

Since June 1990, 64 AIDS Cases Reported

91WE0168B Dakar LE SOLEIL in French
26 Nov 90 p 2

[Text] In a statement issued on 24 November the Sene-
galese National Committee for the Prevention of AIDS
announced that 425 persons had been diagnosed in
Senegalese hospitals as suffering from AIDS, 125 of
whom died.

As of the end of June, 361 cases had been identified, and
64 new cases have since been added to the total. AIDS
has become a real, public health problem. The blood
epidemiological situation is being followed very closely
elsewhere in the country, under the program based on



2 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

consist in sexual abstinence and chastity outside the
conjugal sphere, and condoms should be used only by
married couples when one or the other already has the
disease. Beyond that, therefore, the church condemns
the ineffectiveness of condoms and favors man and
woman’s deep sense of responsibility, which should be
promoted above all.

The theory is defensible, if measured against an ideal
yardstick. In reality, it may turn out to be utopian
considering that man is made of flesh and blood and
doomed to sin by nature. Therefore, far from encour-
aging evil, the use of condoms might help protect man
against himself until the advent of a better society free
from any “evil” influences. For the time being, this is the
dream par excellence. All the same, the debate remains
open, and it is the authorities’ turn to play...now.

NAMIBIA

Forty-two AIDS Deaths, 505 HIV Cases Since °85

91WE0179A Windhoek TIMES OF NAMIBIA
in English 5 Dec 90 p 4

[Text] For the first time all over Namibia, women
organisations came together on 1 December 1990 to
commemorate World AIDS Day as an important starting
point to organise themselves in the fight against AIDS
and other issues.

“Women need to develop a language as to confidently
negotiate about sex with their partners,” Dr. Finken-
stein, Manager of the National AIDS Control Pro-
gramme (NACP) told women at a gathering on Saturday.

He stressed that women should highlight awareness of
the risk of HIV infection and AIDS.

The events of the day focussed attention on the fact that
AIDS touched the lives of millions of women all over the
world.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported about
250,000 cases of AIDS from over 150 countries. WHO
estimates there are about 700,000 cases worldwide and
more than half the figure was made up of women.

AIDS therefore is a big social and economic challenge
since so many women are infected with the virus.

Women are also further affected as they are mothers of
AIDS infected children, partners of HIV-infected men,
and by their role as health professionals, teachers, social
workers, councellors, caretakers and community leaders.

He further urged women to strengthen AIDS prevention
activities and programmes at all levels of society, and to
promote respect and care for all HIV infected people,
and people with AIDS.

In Namibia a total of 42 people have so far died from
AIDS, while 505 people have been positively tested for
the HIV virus.

IJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

The figures were registered from January 1985 to Sep-
tember 1990.

Deputy Minister Pendukeni Ithana also addressed the
women, stressing that AIDS could be prevented but not
cured,

“Protection is in our hands,” she said.

She pointed out that AIDS was not only a health problem
but also an economic and social problem.

“With a primary target population of adults aged 15-45,
the country’s work-force and most productive sector can
be seriously affected,” Ithana said.

NIGERIA

Medical Association’s ‘Nonchalance’ Toward
AIDS Problem Cited

91WEOISIA Lagos DAILY TIMES in English
6 Nov 90 p 32

[Article by Laide Shokunbi, health correspondent]

[Text] United States based Nigerian AIDS researcher has
warned of the possibility of the AIDS disease becoming
a major national disaster as measures to contain its
spread do not exist at present.

Dr. Kayode Adeniyi-Jones of the U.S. National Institute
of Health in the state of Maryland made the observations
during an interview, with the DAILY TIMES at the
weekend.

He said the poor application of education on the deadly
effects of the disease and the avoidable carelessness in
cases relating to blood transfusion has given impetus to
the spread of AIDS, thereby making its control difficult.

Adeniyi-Jones observed that the country could not
afford to wait any moment longer as “the magnitude of
the problem is beyond comprehension,” and blamed the
Nigerian Medical Association for nonchalance toward
the problem.

He spoke of the need for massive education, wondering
why Nigerians were unconcerned about a disease that
has the potential to wipe out up to 25 percent of the
country’s population and cited Uganda, where one mil-
lion of the 16 million population are reportedly infected
with the AIDS virus as an instance of impending tragedy.

“If somebody came to invade us now, and had the
potential to wipe out 25 percent, we would be rising up
in arms,” he said.

Britain Continues Grants for AIDS Program
AB2601201091 Paris AFP in English 0423 GMT
26 Jan 91

[Excerpt] Lagos, Jan 25 (AFP)—The United Kingdom
has granted Nigeria 11 million pounds over the past two



IPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

“We have a drug education programme even for children
in schools and for workers,” Mr. To said. “We are going
to have a big campaign (against drug users) in 1991 ...
but are waiting for the assistance of international organ-
isations.”

Meanwhile, his drug treatment centre acts as a test
ground, with only 100 beds, for finding ways to treat
people. Mr. Tuoc said the drug problem was generally

EAST ASIA 15

dealt with on a community basis as many addicts have to
earn a living to support their families.

US.-based World Relief International recently pitched
in with 15 million dollars’ worth of aid for the centre but
both men called on the international community for
more help to battle the drug problem before it gets out of
hand.



SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

Mr. Edward Osborne, an economist from Nedbank, said
yesterday at a business symposium in Capetown.

South Africa cannot spend 80 billion rand per year on
the care of AIDS patients. The dying patients will simply
have to be cared for at home.

Professor Christa van Wyk, a member of the law faculty
at UNISA [University of South Africa], said that
employers and trade unions can no longer deny the
existence and danger of AIDS. Every employer should
have an AIDS policy.

This policy should include directives on AIDS educa-
tion, AIDS testing, and the employment of workers, as
well as on how to deal with workers who are AIDS
carriers or AIDS patients.

Trade unions should be involved in drawing up direc-
tives for that policy.

Interdepartmental Group Discusses AIDS Control
Campaign

MB2401081791 Johannesburg SABC TV I Network

in Afrikaans 1800 GMT 23 Jan 91

[Text] Between 100,000 and 300,000 people in South
Africa already carry the virus which can lead to AIDS.
These shocking figures were revealed in Cape Town
today during the first interdepartmental meeting to
discuss the control of AIDS.

Sixteen state departments, the various provinces, and
own affairs authorities are to be involved in an informa-
tion campaign planned for this year. A workshop for
counsellors is also planned. [Begin video recording]
Reporter Ossie Gibson: Committee Chairman Dr. Coen
Slabber said at a news conference that the campaign
against AIDS in South Africa can only succeed if there
are changes in attitudes and patterns of behavior. Chil-
dren are viewed as an important target group, for their
sexual behavioral patterns are yet to be formed.

Dr. Manda Holmshaw, spokesperson for the Department
of National Health and Welfare: The program to be
researched this year will be for high schools, but ideally
we would rather begin with primary school pupils. I have
a 5-year-old son, and he knows everything about AIDS.
It is possible to feed information to children, and it is
also possible to teach them how to use that information.
If this year’s program succeeds, we could work on a
similar program for primary schools next year.

Gibson: The U.S. health secretary recently said he would
like to provide financial assistance to both government
and community organizations. Your comment?

Dr. Manda Holmshaw: We are very pleased that South
Africa might receive money to help in the control of
AIDS. I believe everyone realizes that we will achieve
nothing unless there is cooperation among nongovern-
mental organizations, community organizations, and
people from all political backgrounds. We all have to

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 5

work together. We have a common goal, and that ought
to be the most important factor, rather than our back-
grounds. We ask for cooperation and invite all these
groups to speak with us. We want to work with them.
[end recording]

Bishops’ Conference on Blame for Violence; AIDS

MB2301052091 Johannesburg SAPA in English
0024 GMT 23 Jan 91

[Embargoed by SAPA until 1900 GMT 23 January]

[Excerpt] Pretoria Jan 22 SAPA—[passage omitted] Dis-
cussing AIDS, Bishop Napier said prayer and fasting
would be needed to cast out this demon.

He called for the “resumption of the moral discipline of
the Gospel and the ethical practices to be found in our
indigenous cultures”.

A church spokesman confirmed on Tuesday the Pope
had not yet sanctioned the use of condoms to fight AIDS,
adding that their efficiency was suspect.

Nonracial Resorts Adopt Anti-AIDS Measures

91AF0375Z Johannesburg BEELD in Afrikaans
19 Nov 90 pI

[Article by Andre du Plessis: “Plan Against AIDS in
These Resorts: Numerous Measures Implemented After
Opening Up”)

[Text] Far-reaching steps to protect vacationers at Over-
vaal resorts against AIDS, among other things, and
stronger measures to ensure their safety after the recent
opening up of public facilities to all races were unveiled
over the weekend in Boksburg.

At the same time, the wind was taken out of rumors to
the effect that white vacationers are being crowded out
by nonwhites at the resorts. Figures contradict these
allegations, and at the best-known resorts, such as
Tshipise, Eiland, and Sybrand van Niekerk, the total
number of nonwhite visitors changed in more than one
month from none to only six.

Mr. Koos Snyman, Administration-House of Assembly,
and Mr. Rudi Basson, spokesman for the Overvaal
resorts, informed the annual congress of the South
African Recreational Vehicle Association (SAWA) about
this on Saturday.

Mr. Basson spoke on safety and health at Overvaal
resorts. Among these measures are:

+ Continuous treatment with chlorine gas in order to
tule out any possibility of AIDS contamination;

« Extremely costly treatment of swimming pool water
with ozone;

« Weekly testing of resort water by the CSIR [Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research];



JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

Recent epidemiological information compiled by the
Indian Council of Medical Research from 48 surveil-
lance centres including four referral centres indicates
that the predominant mode of transmission of HIV
infection in the country is heterosexual. Of the 5.80 lakh
blood specimens screened till 31 October this year, from
persons practising high risk behaviours, 4082 were found
to be sero-positive for HIV infection, giving out a
sero-positivity rate of 7-0 per 1,000 persons among the
potentially viable groups.

Intra-venous Drug Users

The three north-eastern states are mainly concentrated
with intra-venous drug users. Till the end of October,
2,324 intra-venous drug users were screened in Manipur
and 1016 were found to have the infection. Thus
Manipur accounts for almost 25 percent of the total
number of HIV infected persons.

According to another assessment, the severe spread of
HIV infection is now occurring in Bombay, mostly
through heterosexual route. About 20 percent of the
estimated number of one lakh prostitutes in Bombay are
infected. A similar spread, although of a lower intensity,
is occurring in Madras while the epidemic is less severe
in Delhi and Calcutta.

While the Government is giving priority to intensive
health education campaigns promoting safer sexual prac-
tices for preventing the transmission of the infection, the
second area of priority is to ensure the availability of
safer blood and blood products. Since the probability of
infection spreading through blood and blood products
has been estimated at 90 percent, the DGHS has issued
specific instructions to manufacturers of blood products
to take suitable precautions.

Testing of Donors

According to the guidelines, each unit of the donor has to
be tested for HIV antibody, testing of pooled blood
plasma and testing of each of the batches of finished
product. All blood products should carry a certificate
from the manufacturer clearing it from HIV infection.
Testing of all donors by establishing zonal blood testing
centres linked to blood banks has already started in the
four metropolitan cities and 27 other major cities. Grad-
ually it is proposed to expand blood testing facilities to
all cities having a population of over five lakhs and to
link blood banks to the zonal testing centres.

Under the blood donor screening programme, 6.67 lakh
units of blood have been screened till last month, of
which 4,468 units were found to be reactive on the basis
of the preliminary ELISA test. The infected blood has
been destroyed with the view to ensuring the safety of
transfusion system.

As part of more stringent measures, the DGHS has also
issued guidelines to all medical colleges on hospital
infection control and disposal or embalming of HIV
infected persons. Besides, the facilities for diagnosis and

NEAR EAST & SOUTH ASIA 21

treatment counselling facilities in AIDS units of 13
identified hospitals will also be improved. The other
programmes for action under the medium-term plan
include circulation of health education material to pro-
fessional and potentially viable or high risk groups
besides using the communication medium more effec-
tively for disseminating information on AIDS preven-
tion.

ISRAEL

Spread of AIDS in 1990 Examined

91WE0157A Tel Aviv ‘AL HAMISHMAR in Hebrew
4 Dec 90p9

[Article by Ronit Morgenstern]

[Text] “Until 2000, we will have some kind of AIDS
vaccine cocktail that can be tried on human beings.
However, it will be about 30 years before this vaccine’s
effectiveness can be verified.” This is how Professor
Ze’ev Handzel, the chairman of the AIDS Prevention
and Research Association in Israel and the director of
the Clinical Immunology Unit and the Pediatric
Research Institute at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot,
defines the complex, problematic nature of discovering
an effective vaccine against the fatal AIDS virus, or
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which has
been confounding the world of science and medicine for
ten years. At the same time, the life expectancy and
quality of life of AIDS patients has improved signifi-
cantly in recent years, thanks to drugs and treatments
that have been developed. If, until 1986, an AIDS
patient lived for two years after first being diagnosed,
patients now live four or more years, Prof. Handzel
states. The currently accepted drug for treating AIDS
patients is AZT. AZT is effective but has side effects,
namely the suppression of bone marrow and the destruc-
tion of erythrocytes and leukocytes. Two new medicines,
DDI and DDC, which are analogous and similar to AZT,
are in an advanced experimental stage. Their advantage
is that their side effects are much less powerful than
those of AZT. The trend in medicine is to use these three
medicines cyclically in small doses, like antibiotics: One
drug is administered every three months to prevent the
development of resistant strains of the virus.

AZT is currently given as preventative treatment to
AIDS carriers in whom a decline in immune cells has
been detected. In controlled groups that receive this
preventative treatment, a minimum, one-year deferment
of the disease’s appearance has been obtained. At
present, the disease appears within five to ten years of
when a person becomes infected with the virus. Early
detection is especially important, maintains Prof. Hand-
zel, because, as stated, preventive treatment to defer the
disease is now possible, as is direct treatment of the
disease and its irregular infections. These treatments
qualitatively improve and prolong the patient's life.



JPRS-TEP-9 1-003
RUARY 1991

Broadcast
Information
Service

ANNIVERSARY
1941 - 1991

AIDS

19980506 112

~ REPRODUCED BY |
U.S, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE :

NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE [|
' SPRINGFIELD, VA. 22161

aust mses A

\pae



8 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

This shock statistic, which reflects a rapid spread of the
virus among heterosexual peole, was revealed yesterday
by the Western Province AIDS Advisory Group.

And figures released yesterday by the University of Cape
Town virology department also show that there are now
771 HIV-positive cases in the Western Cape.

Leading AIDS experts believe that these recorded statis-
tics, compiled from requested testing at Cape laborato-
Ties, reveal only one-tenth of the actual figure.

The Western Cape statistics disclosed yesterday reveal:

—Twelve mothers have passed the virus on to their
babies.

—More heterosexual are being infected than homosex-
uals.

—The growth rate of the disease is small in the white
population and mostly among homosexuals—but
escalates among the black heterosexual population.

—The level of growth of the virus among the black
population has risen dramatically over the last two
years.

—For more than half of the cases there is no recorded
data.

In 1990 there were only 30 new HIV-positive cases
recorded among the white community, but the figures
for the black population increased from 75 HIV-positive
cases in 1989 to 225 in 1990.

The 771 HIV-positive cases for the Western Cape can be
broken down into: 142 heterosexual, 153 homosexual,
25 bisexual, 12 mother to child, 1 intravénous-drug
abuser, 22 haemophiliacs, four prostitutes, 412 unknown
tisk.

According to a leading virologist at the University of
Cape Town, who asked not to be named, the transmis-
sion of the HIV-positive virus among heterosexuals in
the Western Cape in the last year is on the increase.

“The figures are absolutely frightening—but as fore-
cast,” he said.

He added that in both the coloured and black commu-
nities, the infection-spread rate now had a doubling time
of less than a year.

“But Cape Town is still geographically remote and there
is still time to do something about the disease spread.”

A leading AIDS expert, who also asked not to be named
because of the sensitivity of the subject, said the figures
were “not surprising”.

IPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

“But these figures are artificial and give no idea of what
is really happening out there.”

He said the lack of data on the recorded cases was
“shocking” in itself.

“There is a serious gap in the knowledge that is being
collected. More than half of the cases, we don’t know
anything about,” he said.

—The latest Department of Health and Population
Development figures state that 574 full-bown AIDS
cases have been recorded in South Africa.

AIDS Tests Reportedly Done Without Consent

91WE0196B Johannesburg SUNDAY TIMES
in English 13 Jan 91 p 3

[Article by Felicity Levine]

[Text] Doctors at provincial hospitals in the PWV are
openly defying a ban on testing patients for AIDS
without their consent.

The doctors’ actions are in conflict with the rulings of the
Transvaal Provincial Administration—but medical staff
are prepared to face disciplinary action rather than risk
infection.

“It is not just in our interest to do tests before surgery,
but also in the patient’s,” said Professor Einhard Erken,
head of orthopaedic surgery at the Wits University
Medical School.

“A patient with AIDS has a slim chance of surviving
some surgical procedures, because diminished immunity
is a sure recipe for post- operative infection.”

Professor Erken said all surgical patients at the Johan-
nesburg Hospital had been “routinely” tested for AIDS
for the past six months.

“Patients are asked to give written consent for the test
and, so far, no one has refused that I am aware of. If they
did refuse, staff would probably refuse to carry out the

surgery.”
Safer

But at the biggest hospital in the southern hemisphere,
Baragwanath in Soweto, AIDS tests are carried out
without the formality of a patient’s consent.

“Consent is irrelevant when it comes to operating on a
patient who could have AIDS,” said the hospital’s sur-
gical chief, Bokkie Rabinowitz.

“In many cases, patients admitted to Bara are in no state
to sign consent forms, and they could die while we were
trying to track down their next of kin.

“For us, it’s simply safer to go ahead and do the test.”

Bara makes use of a “‘quickie” AIDS test, which takes 10
minutes and costs the TPA R12.



IJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

Yesterday was World AIDS Day and this year the day
focussed attention on “Women and AIDS.”

Mrs. Simone Baverey, Durban director of the Family
and Marriage Society of SA (Famsa), said her staff
recently counselled a couple whose marriage was
breaking up because one of the partners was HIV posi-
tive.

“I am sure we are going to get many more cases like
this,” she said.

Blood Donors Found To Be AIDS Carriers

91WE0155B Johannesburg SOWETAN in English
20 Dec 90 pp 1-2

{Article by Mathatha Tsedu: “Blood Donors in AIDS
Scare”’]

[Text] Twenty Northern Transvaal blood donors were
found to be carrying the AIDS virus during the 3 months
ended in September, the South African Institute of
Medical Research, said this week.

The head of the SAIMR in Pietersburg, Dr. MGA
Forrest, said the figure covered the entire region,
including the bantustans.

He said the AIDS epidemic was in its infancy in the
region, but was increasing.

Statistics for the period up to 31 December would be
released in January next year, he said.

Meanwhile, the AIDS counselling centre in the town said
that only one person was known to have full-blown AIDS
in the area.

Two other people had died of the disease, Centre
Director Mr. H.E. Smith said.

Smith said there were no statistics for people found to be
HIV positive.

The University of the North was, however, conducting a
study which should help in putting the information
together.

The study should be completed in January, he said.

Smith said statistics of AIDS-infected people showed
that the disease was spreading rapidly through hetero-
sexual intercourse among black people.

While 251 of the 287 white AIDS sufferers were infected
through homosexual means, 185 of the 265 blacks were
infected heterosexually.

The heterosexual transmission of the disease has led to
71 children under 9 years old having the AIDS virus.

Only two black homosexual cases had been noted, Smith
said.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 7

Among whites,only 11 people had been infected hetero-
sexually while 13 got the virus through blood donors.

Eleven others are haemophiliacs while one was a drug
user.

Cape Hospitals Running Short of AZT

91WE0169A Cape Town CAPE TIMES in English
15 Dec 90 p 3

[Text] Cape provincial hospitals have a shortage of the
drug AZT (Zidovudine) used in the treatment of AIDS
because there is no money to buy more, said Dr. Frank
Spracklen, head of a city AIDS clinic.

Only 14 people infected with the HIV virus are being
supplied with AZT at Dr. Spracklen’s clinic, 13 are
buying it themselves and more than 600 are not getting it
at all.

Commenting on claims that doctors and health workers
are using the drug as a preventative measure after needle
pricks, Dr. Spracklen said there was no evidence that
AZT prevented AIDS. It merely delayed the onset of
full-blown AIDS, he said.

Yesterday there was widespread reaction from doctors
on inadequate protection against AIDS at hospitals,
following a report that a Groote Schuur nurse was being
treated with AZT after pricking herself with an infected
needle.

Professor Peter Folb of UCT medical school’s depart-
ment of pharmacology said it was standard hospital
procedure to treat health workers who received needle
pricks with AZT until the source patient was found to be
HIV positive.

Prof. Joseph Ozinsky, associate professor of anaesthetics
at Groote Schuur said, “It was a sad state of affairs that
doctors and nurses are at great risk.”

Groote Schuur doctors who called the Cape Times
yesterday said not enough safety measures were used and
safety spectacles which presented “splash infection”
were not provided.

Dr. R.M. Pelteret, a Groote Schuur superintendant, said
the hospital was concerned for staff safety and a “formal
needle-stick injury policy” was applied. This policy
included the use of AZT.

Safety spectacles were available for use by staff in all
“very high-risk areas,” he said.

Advisory Group Releases Western Cape AIDS
Figures

'MB1102085991 Cape Town CAPE TIMES in English
7 Feb 91 p 1

{Report by Glynnis Underhill: “Cape AIDS Shock”}

[Text] The number of black people in the Western Cape
infected with the AIDS-related HIV virus trebled in
1990,



IPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

1,000 hospices and 50,000 brochures for distribution to
the gays. This year a three-minute television spot was
supposed to be produced, but nothing has been done.”

The epidemiologists estimate that for every person ill with
AIDS in Italy today there are 25 who are seropositive. “If
that is the case,” Grillini says, “it means that there could be

WEST EUROPE 27

almost 30,000 seropositive individuals among the sexually
active homosexuals (who number approximately | million),
and little or nothing is being done in the area of information
and prevention. Information and prevention are feasible
only if the real problems and real needs of the homosexuals
can be successfully presented to the National AIDS Com-
mission.”



4 SUB-SA

the network of monitoring stations in Dakar, Ziguin-
chor, Thies, Kaolack, and Saint-Louis, supervised by the
bacteriological and virological laboratories of the Aris-
tides Le Dantec Hospital.

Twenty-Six AIDS Cases Identified in Louga
Region

91WE0168C Dakar LE SOLEIL in French

11 Oct 90 p&

[Commentary by Cheikh Camara: “AIDS: 26 Cases
Identified”]

[Text] In May 1990 26 AIDS cases were recorded in the
Louga region. As in other areas of the country, the rate is
increasing. It is feared that the figure is far from
reflecting reality because it includes only a small portion
of the cases identified. Therefore, the only way to slow
down the spread of this illness, in the absence of effective
medicine or vaccination, is education and making
people aware of the need to change their behavior.

This was the reason for the recent holding of a seminar
for 28 regional and departmental program supervisors
and officials of regional hospitals and epidemiological
services. The seminar was a part of the program for the
prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and
AIDS.

Other training programs are scheduled in the various
departments of the country for local administrative and
health officials. Also under preparation is an expansion
in the program of making the people aware of this
problem at sports, cultural, and artistic events.

The seminar was the occasion for Governor Souleymane
Bovo Vilane, who presided over its opening session, to
recall the health policy of the government before empha-
sizing the purpose of the seminar and the need to inform
and train health personnel. In itself this is an essential
stage in the struggle against these evils. Above all, in
Governor Vilane’s view, the emphasis must be placed on
sensitizing, informing, and educating the people. This
view was shared by regional officials in the fields of
health education and the struggle against STD and
AIDS.

In May 1990 Fatou Thioub and Nafissatou Aidara
attended an AIDS information, communications and
education program at Santa Guzane [as published—St.
Augustine?], in the United States. In the view of these
two women it is necessary to provide objective informa-
tion on the threat constituted by STD and AIDS, the
means of transmitting these diseases, as well as the
resources available to prevent their spread.

Those attending the three-day seminar sought to cover
all aspects of the problems concerning STD and AIDS,
including empidemiological and risk factors, treatment,
and prevention.

RAN AFRICA

JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

SOUTH AFRICA

Health Department Updates AIDS Statistics

91WE0196A Johannesburg SOWETAN in English
10 Jan 91 p9

[Text] Eight more people died of AIDS and 39 more were
recorded to have developed the disease over an 1 I-day
period last month, according to the latest update sup-
plied by the Department of National Health and Popu-
lation Development.

The department’s information is based on data supplied
by the South African Institute for Medical Research. In
December last year, two updates were issued—on 3
December and 14 December.

According to the 14 December update, 613 people now
have AIDS in comparison with 574 on 3 December. The
number of deaths increased from 262 to 270.

The incidence of AIDS among children aged nine and
younger has increased by 7 from 74 to 81, while the
incidence of the 10- to 19-year-old group remained static
at 16 over the eleven-day period.

About 16 percent of the total number of reported AIDS
cases are 19 years or younger.

The recent increase in the incidence of AIDS among the
heterosexual community is continuing, according to the
figures.

Women

Women now account for 152 cases of the total and men
for 459 as opposed to 139 and 434 respectively in the
previous update.

The gender of two cases is not known.

The largest number of people with AIDS live in the
Johannesburg area—21 1—of which more than half, 124,
have died. Durban has recorded 90 cases (and 21
deaths), Cape Town 86 (46 deaths) and KwaZulu 32 (no
deaths recorded).

AIDS Care Cost Predicted Too High for State

91AF0380Z Johannesburg BEELD in Afrikaans
14 Nov 90 p 18

[Article by correspondent: “AIDS Patients Too Expen-
sive for South Africa”’]

[Text] Capetown—South Africa will not be able to afford
the cost of treatment and care for all its dying AIDS
patients in hospitals and state institutions.

It has been estimated that within a few years, the
treatment and care of AIDS patients will cost 80 billion
rand per year, and South Africa does not have the
monetary resources to spend such amounts on AIDS,



18 LATIN AMERICA

Participating in the event are national and foreign
reporters who have spent most of their time during the
past decade dealing with the problems of patients with
AIDS.

Jose Enrique Zelaya, chairman of the National Commis-
sion on AIDS, claimed that, by 1995, it is expected to
confirm between 35,000 and 40,000 AIDS cases in the
country. They include 1,000 young children, who will
probably die unless pregnancies are curbed.

Honduras is the country with the most cases in Central
America, with 52 percent of the total cases in the region
reported here. It is followed by El Salvador and Panama,
with 14 percent each; Costa Rica, with 12; Guatemala,
with 6; and Nicaragua and Belize, with | percent each.

Cesar Castellanos Madrid, minister of public health,
expressed his concern over the projections for the disease
in the country, which indicate that the number of cases
will more than double during the next few years.

As of October 1990, 966 cases had been detected in
Honduras, with 347 among females, 32 among children
under age ten, and the rest among males, the majority of
whom are heterosexuals.

Of the total confirmed cases, 347 are among females. Of
these women 294 contracted the disease from sexual
relations, and 219 [sic] were infected by their husbands
or usual partners, who are the ones that have evinced the
risky conduct.

The first AIDS case in the country was reported in 1985,
although it is estimated that, as early as 1984, two
persons were suffering from this disease: a woman, the
wife of a sailor who supposedly infected her, and the
second case, a university professional who traveled con-
stantly to San Francisco, California, visiting a gay bar in
the city where he resided.

At present, 1,404 cases have been studied, 966 of which
have proven positive. There are 54 more cases under
study, with a 100 percent chance of proving positive.

Of the 966 confirmed cases, 304 are living, 308 are dead,
and the whereabouts of 354 is unknown. It is estimated
that 50,000 persons in Honduras are infected with the
fatal disease.

San Pedro Sula is the city having 41 percent of the total
cases; followed by Tegucigalpa, with 12. The north-
western strip of the country is considered the area most
affected in Honduras, with 74 percent.

Zelaya claimed that AIDS has been spreading
throughout the entire country in towns with over 5,000
inhabitants.

JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

According to the projections, there are in the country
about 1,042 persons infected for every 100,000 inhabit-
ants; this being considered one of the highest rates in
Latin America.

Zelaya and Castellanos Madrid voiced their concern
over the high rates of this disease among females.

The trend is rising among women, according to Zelaya,
who explained that from 1984 to 1986 25 percent of the
cases reported were among women, and that by 1990 this
proportion had risen to 38 percent.

Another group with high rates is that of children. To
date, out of the 966 cases, 32 involve children under age
ten; and 23 of these were infected by their mothers.

Zelaya claimed that the increase in cases among children
is alarming, because they tripled in comparison with the
number reported at the end of 1989.

Lair Guerra de Macedo, a Brazilian physician special-
izing in the treatment of AIDS patients, explained the
relationship existing between persons suffering from the
“20th century disease” and the economic crises besetting
their nations,

This disease holds serious implications for Third World
nations, if one considers the fact that those infected are
young, the majority being under age 30, and representing
the work force of a nation.

Furthermore, this represents major economic implica-
tions, because the treatment for this disease is extremely
expensive,

It is estimated that the treatment of an AIDS patient
fluctuates annually between $60,000 to $147,000. Such
treatment does not ensure that the patient will be cured
of the disease, but only that his life expectancy will be
extended.

He said that there is an urgent need to take action to cope
with this disease, noting that AIDS is a social, political,
and economic problem. [passage omitted]

PERU

Health Ministry Reveals Deaths From AIDS Last
Year

PY3001132291 Lima RTP Television Network

in Spanish 1800 GMT 28 Jan 91

[Text] Health Minister Carlos Vidal Layseca reported
today that 145 people died from AIDS last year out of
345 confirmed cases. He said that his ministry will install
health centers across the country to fight AIDS.



24 SOVIET UNION

Radio Reports Current Soviet AIDS Statistics

LD2401190391 Moscow Domestic Service in Russian
1520 GMT 24 Jan 91

[Summary] Correspondent (Tatyana Makulovskaya)
says that 585 Soviet citizens and 579 foreigners have
now been identified as AIDS virus carriers in the USSR.

SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

An average of 10 virus carriers are being diagnosed every
month. Although no case of infection inside hospitals
has come to light in the past year, 258 children were
infected in this way, of whom 15 have now died. A total
of 24 people have died of AIDS in the country as a
whole.



JPRS-TEP-91-003

12 February 1991 3 AIDS
LATIN AMERICA
BRAZIL
Over 15,000 Infected With the AIDS Virus Brasilia Domestic Service, 7 Feb 91] .... 17
CUBA
AIDS Hospital Opens in Guantanamo, 18 Cases Reported
[Havana Radio Reloj Network, 28 Jan 91] ..... 17
German Professor Contends AIDS Virus Created by Pentagon
[Havana International Service, 24 Jan 91] ..... 17
DOMINICA
AIDS Committee Chairperson Outlines Priorities /Bridgetown CANA, 6 Feb 91] 17
HONDURAS
Sharp Increase in AIDS Predicted [San Pedro Sula TIEMPO, 30 Nov 90] ...... 17
PERU
Health Ministry Reveals Deaths From AIDS Last Year
[Lima RTP Television Network, 28 Jan 91] 18
NEAR EAST & SOUTH ASIA
INDIA
More on Developments in Fight Against AIDS 19
Spread Into Gujarat (Gautam Mehta; Bombay THE TIMES OF INDIA, 3 Dec 90] 19
Plea From West Bengal Calcutta THE SUNDAY STATESMAN, 2 Dec 90] 20
AIDS Control Plan, Statistics Told {Madras THE HINDU, 26 Dec 90] 20

ISRAEL
Spread of AIDS in 1990 Examined Ronit Morgenstern; Tel Aviv ‘AL HAMISHMAR, 4 Dec 90]. 21

SOVIET UNION

Radio Reports Current Soviet AIDS Statistics /Moscow Domestic Service, 24 Jan 91] .... . 24
WEST EUROPE
CANADA
AIDS Cases in Quebec, HIV Compensation Plan, Needle Exchange ...... 2

Cases in Quebec, Nation /Windsor THE WINDSOR STAR, 29 Nov
HIV Compensation Program

[Beverly Smith; Toronto THE GLOBE AND MAIL, 14 Dec 90]
Vancouver Needle Exchange /Ottawa THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, 14 Dec 90]

ITALY
Recent AIDS Study Discussed {Gianna Milano; Milan PANORAMA, 16 Dec 90]



JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

HONG KONG

Haemophiliacs Still Face Virus Threat

91WE0190 Hong Kong SOUTH CHINA MORNING
POST in English 19 Nov 90 p &

[Article by Helen Signy]

[Text] Local haemophiliacs still live in fear of catching
AIDS from the blood products they use to stay alive,
according to one of the 60 members of the Hong Kong
Haemophilia Association.

The haemophiliac, who asked not to be named, said
there was still a risk of catching the HIV virus from
blood products used to replace the missing coagulant
factors in their blood.

Haemophiliacs, who make up the second largest group of
AIDS victims in Hong Kong, have also suffered from
social stigma, to the extent that they could lose their jobs
after the discovery of the disease, he said.

“Yes, it worries me. Most of the patients are worried
about this—they are concerned, but what can we do?” he
said.

“We can never know how great the risk is—the bottle is
in front of you and you have to decide whether this bottle
is infected or not.”

“If we don’t inject the blood product, we will die or
damage our joints and experience pain and many other
complications.”

Many haemophiliacs have regular AIDS tests but cannot
be sure they will not contract the disease each time they
use the blood product.

“Once I know my test is negative I’m very happy, but
there is no guarantee I won’t contract the disease,
because we go on using blood products and the risk is
always there,” he added.

Haemophilia, a hereditary male disease, means victims
do not have normal clotting agents in their blood, and
can bleed to death unless the coagulant is replaced.

They were once forced to have monthly blood transfu-
sions, but now they can usually simply inject themselves
with a blood product to replace the missing coagulant
once they start to bleed.

Head of the government AIDS counselling and health
education unit, Dr. Patrick Li Chung-ki, said that
although the risk of commercial blood products con-
taining the HIV virus was virtually non-existent, there
was no 100 percent guarantee they were AIDS-free.

“I think we are looking at a risk which is very low
now...you cannot say there is 100 percent safety,” Dr. Li
said.

EAST ASIA u

He said manufacturers of blood products had stringent
selection criteria for donors, screened all products for the
HIV virus, and used heat or chemical treatment to
further eliminate the risk.

Nearly all blood products used by haemophiliacs are
imported from the U.S.

Research was also being conducted into synthetic blood
products for haemophiliacs, although they were not yet
available on the market, Dr. Li added.

About one third of all haemophiliacs tested for AIDS by
the Government have proved positive, although all con-
tracted the disease before blood screening was intro-
duced in 1985.

There are currently 54 haemophiliacs registered as car-
rying the HIV virus, making them the second largest
group to be affected after homosexuals, while five hae-
mophiliacs have developed full-blown AIDS. More than.
20 child haemophiliacs have been infected.

The number of haemophiliacs who had contracted AIDS
had increased social prejudice, the haemophiliac said.

“People think you have a disease—especially a heredi-
tary and incurable disease—and have mixed feelings.

“Now there’s AIDS, another addition to such a feeling. 1
appreciate the stigma and because of that I don’t actively
and directly tell my friends that I’m a haemophiliac,” he
said.

Most haemophiliacs did not tell their employers about
their condition, as some had lost their jobs because of it,
while it was rare to find employment if prospective
employers found out, he added.

JAPAN

Number of AIDS Cases Increasing

0W3001004091 Tokyo KYODO in English 1513 GMT
29 Jan 91

[Text] Tokyo, Jan 29, KYODO—The total number in
1990 of newly confirmed patients with AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome) or with the human immu-
nodeficiency virus (HIV) hit 97, 10 more than the
previous year, the government's AIDS Surveillance
Committee said Tuesday.

The figure does not include cases caused by contamina-
tion from blood products.

Among the newly detected cases were three involving
contamination of a mother and child, the first in Japan.

This brings the total of such cases in Japan since 1985 to
316, including 236 males and 79 females and one
bisexual.

The figures show that the number of cases last year
involving males dropped marginally by two, while the



IJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

This includes 23 AIDS cases, of whom 15 have died, one
case with AIDS-related complex and 37 asymptomatic
carriers.

Last year, there were 17 newly-diagnosed infected Sin-
gaporeans, the highest number in a year since 1985.

In the past two months, a prostitute from a neighbouring
country, arrested while working here, was found to be
infected with HIV. She was counselled and sent home.

So far, seven foreign prostitutes have been found HIV-
positive.

The Health Ministry was also notified of 70 cases of
infectious syphilis and 566 cases of gonorrhoea in
November and December compared to 42 and 665
respectively for the same period in 1989.

The ministry strongly advises the public to refrain from
unprotected sex.with prostitutes or with casual contacts,
both locally and abroad.

THAILAND

Public Health Official on AIDS Situation

BK0102044591 Bangkok THE NATION in English
1 Feb 91 p A3

[Article by Tunsathit Thapthim]

[Text] More than 300 Thais have died of AIDS, about
one percent of the total 25,000 people found infected,
but a senior public health official says the AIDS situation
here seems to have stabilized.

Dr. Thira Ramasut, director general of the Communi-
cable Diseases Control Department, said AIDS has
killed 307 people and the death toll is expected to rise
quickly in the future as many of the 25,242 infected
people have developed symptoms.

AIDS researchers have consistently argued that the
number of people testing positive for AIDS is very
misleading because it does not reflect the high preva-
lence rates in random samples of the general population.

They say that rates of infection are more important.

For example, more than 50 percent of prostitutes in
some areas are carrying AIDS, while one in ten rural men
between the age of 20 and 24 in Chiang Mai and Chiang
Rai provinces have been turned away from military
service because they are infected with the AIDS virus.

But Thira said there have been “encouraging signs” that
the formerly skyrocketing rate of AIDS infection was
beginning to ease.

About 9,200 AIDS carriers were found last year, com-
pared with 10,770 discovered in 1989.

“The fact that fewer people were found infected last year
despite a much more extensive medical survey gives us

EAST ASIA 13

hopes that the situation has somewhat stabilized,” Thira
told THE NATION in an interview.

Fewer carriers were also found Jast year among drug
addicts and prostitutes. That indicates wider awareness
among the high-risk groups, Thira said.

“It seems our campaigns for the use of condoms and
against the sharing of needles are beginning to yield
fruit,” he said.

One sign of greater condom awareness is an “‘unprece-
dented” decrease in the number of cases of venereal
disease, the director general added.

According to official figures, seven in every 1,000 Thais
suffered from venereal diseases in 1988. The ratio was
reduced to 4:1,000 last year.

Thira attributed the apparent success in containing the
spread of AIDS in Thailand to a concerted, large-scale
campaign by the government and help from the private
sector.

Thira said the government's anti-AIDS policy is focusing
on education of children and teenagers, and continuous
creation of awareness among high-risk people.

Now primary schoolchildren are being taught about
AIDS, and many children and teenagers have been
trained to become “anti-AIDS volunteers” in their com-
munities.

Despite the optimism, Thira cautioned that the AIDS
threat in Thailand is still great.

He said Thailand has about 86,000 prostitutes and more
than 4,200 of them are carrying the deadly AIDS virus.

The figure, which is based on surveys by the Police
Department, is widely disputed by many women’s rights
organizations who insist that the real number is in the
100s of 1000s.

A major “women’s campaign” will soon be lauched to
encourage Thai men to refrain from promiscuous sex
and frequenting brothels, Thira said.

The nationwide campaign will involve leading female
public figures “from all walks of life” led by Than-
phuying Bunruan Chunhawan, the prime minister’s wife.

Thira said it would be the biggest-ever joint attempt by
Thai women to “change the sexual concepts” of Thai
men. It will involve exhibitions, demonstrations and
personal advice, he said.

“We need to change such concepts like that requiring
‘grown-up’ Thai men to visit prostitutes ‘without a
shield’ to prove their manhood,” Thira said.



SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991 2 AIDS

SWAZILAND

Epidemiologist Reports 3,000 HIV Carriers in Country
[Vusie Ginindza; Mbabane THE TIMES OF SWAZILAND, 17 Jan 91]

UGANDA

Museveni Proposes 4-Point Battle Against AIDS
[Ndyakira Amooti; Kampala THE NEW VISION, 10 Jan 91] ....

ZAMBIA
Seventeen AIDS Patients Since March in Chadiza /Lusaka TIMES OF ZAMBIA, 23 Nov 90] ...... 10
EAST ASIA
HONG KONG

Haemophiliacs Still Face Virus Threat
[Helen Signy; Hong Kong SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 19 Nov 90]

JAPAN

Number of AIDS Cases Increasing (Tokyo KYODO, 29 Jan 91]
SOUTH KOREA

Four Test HIV Positive for January /Seoul YONHAP, I Feb 91] ....

MALAYSIA

Authorities Say AIDS Carriers Number More Than 12,000
[M. Thillinadan; Kuala Lumpur BERITA HARIAN, 2 Jan 91] ....

SINGAPORE

Four More Infected With AIDS Virus (Singapore THE STRAITS TIMES, 25 Jan 91]
THAILAND

Public Health Official on AIDS Situation
[Tunsathit Thapthim; Bangkok THE NATION, 1 Feb 91] - 13
Surat Thani HIV Cases /Bangkok THE NATION, 10 Dec 9 . 14

VIETNAM

14
14

Anti-AIDS Programme in Ho Chi Minh City {Hanoi VNA, 23 Jan 91] ...
AIDS Scare Spurs Solution to Drug Problem Leo Dobbs; Hong Kong AFP, 17 Jan 91]

EAST EUROPE

POLAND
16

AIDS Drug To Appear ‘This Year’ /Warsaw RZECZPOSPOLITA, 16 Jan 91] .....
YUGOSLAVIA

AIDS Commission Registers 174 Cases [Belgrade BORBA, 21 Jan 91]



2 NEAR EAST & SOUTH ASIA

Drug-Resistant Strains

As stated, one solution to the AIDS disease being pur-
sued by science is the discovery of a vaccine against the
disease. To date, two strains of the virus have been
distinguished clearly, HIV 1 and HIV 2. Last year, Prof.
Handzel states, a new strain was isolated in a small
number of patients: “This is a family of virus strains
created by mutation; all of them have a similar operating
mechanism. As we advance in researching the disease,
we are discovering more strains and forms of it. The
virus envelope changes constantly, which makes it diffi-
cult to find an effective vaccine. There are now strains
that are resistant to drugs that have already been devel-
oped.” Nevertheless, because all of these strains have a
similar operating mechanism, there is room for discov-
ering a vaccine. There is indeed progress in this direc-
tion, but first the difficulties: “Finding a vaccine has
encountered several, difficult obstacles, including: the
constant changing of the virus envelope; the very long
incubation period of the virus before the disease breaks
out, which results in many unknowing carriers, which in
turn makes it difficult to develop a vaccination policy;
and the fact that 30 years must elapse before a vaccine’s
effectiveness can be determined, because of the quiet
spread of the virus. Another major difficulty is the need
to discover a vaccine that will protect immune cells
attacked by the AIDS virus. In other words, it is not only
necessary to create antibodies against the virus. The
immune cells themselves must also be immunized. In
other words, this would be a most complex vaccine
preparation.”

In any case, immunization experiments have been per-
formed, and researchers have shown that monkeys can
be protected from the analogue of the human AIDS
disease by means of repeated injections of vaccine.
These and other experimental successes, despite differ-
ences of opinion regarding the vaccine’s composition,
strengthen Prof. Handzel’s opinion that science will put
together an AIDS vaccine that can be tried on human
beings within a decade.

Forbidden Relations

Last year, there was an increase in the number of female
AIDS patients who are not in the risk group comprising
drug addicts and blood transfusion recipients. The
frightening conclusion of the recent year in AIDS
research is that the primary AIDS transmission method.
is now heterosexual sexual relations. In other words, if it
was once thought that anal sexual relations between
homosexuals constituted the main sexual form of AIDS
transmission, this is no longer the case. Infection through
heterosexual relations is caused by contact between
sperm and the mucous membranes of the female
member of a couple. According to Prof. Handzel, oral
sexual relations (contact between a sexual organ and the
mouth) are also now in question, as there have been
cases of transmission due to contact between saliva and
sperm during oral sexual relations, especially in the
presence of ulcers in the mouth cavity. The probability

SJPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

of transmission in this way is low, but it exists. Last year,
the number of homosexual AIDS patients and carriers
declined considerably in Israel, while the number of
heterosexual AIDS patients and carriers, including many
women, increased.

What about Israel? To date, about 140 persons have
become sick with AIDS in Israel, of whom 80 have died.
Fortunately, Israel is still very far from the West’s AIDS
morbidity statistics. The percentage of virus carriers in
the population is around 0.01 percent, one of the lowest
rates in the world. Even the frightening forecast of 4,000
carriers and about 100 patients per year in 1991 has not
materialized. However, Prof. Handzel does not believe
that there is any room for indifference, because today’s
patients were the carriers of five to ten years ago, when
the disease was in its initial stages. Currently, there are
540 diagnosed carriers in Israel and at least thousands of
undiagnosed carriers. Within five to ten years there will
be hundreds, even thousands, of patients in Israel who
will flood the hospitals, and Handzel warns that prepa-
rations must be made for such an eventuality.

Early Prevention and Detection

Ata Health Ministry news conference, on the occasion of
International AIDS Day, Health Ministry Director-
General Dr. Moshe Mashiah stated calmingly that the
growth rate of the number of AIDS patients in Israel is
especially moderate (true to date). However, Handzel
believes that Mashiah errs in thinking that the fact that
50 percent of AIDS patients were diagnosed previously
as carriers while 50 percent were not identified as
carriers indicates that the true number of carriers is two
to three times higher. Prof. Handzel believes that the
true numbers are much higher (ten times higher
according to world statistics). It is thus important to
have an information policy that serves to educate people
about AIDS, prevent it, and achieve early detection. This
matter is a cause for concern, especially given the Health
Ministry’s declaration that its budget can contend with
20 to 30 new patients per year (it costs $20,000 per year
to treat a single patient), but beyond that, the health
system would find it difficult to cope. As stated, Prof.
Handzel expects hundreds and thousands of cases within
five to ten years.

AIDS experts in Israel, including Prof. Handzel, are
critical of the Health Ministry’s information policy and
the Israeli Government’s AIDS prevention efforts. “In
the West, 40 percent of the AIDS budget is allocated for
information and education. In Israel, 16 percent was
allocated only this year according to Prof. Handzel. Of
the total budget for information and the diagnosis and
combing of blood doses, which is 2.5 million shekels,
350,000 shekels were allocated for information. The
Education Ministry has put together an information
program which is optional. According to Handzel, very
few schools are applying the program. At yesterday’s
meeting of the Knesset labor and welfare committee,
Handzel demanded that health insurance schemes
become involved in financing the AIDS budget: ”I do



Epidemiology
AIDS

JPRS-TEP-91-003 CONTENTS 12 February 1991

[This EPIDEMIOLOGY report contains only material on AIDS. Other epidemiology topics will be covered in a later
issue.]

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
ANGOLA
Official AIDS Figures Announced /Luanda JORNAL DE ANGOLA, 5 Dec 90]
KENYA

‘Alarming Rate’ of AIDS Cases Reported in South Nyanza
[Nairobi Domestic Service, 31 Jan 91]

MADAGASCAR

Bishops Criticize Use of Condoms Antananarivo MADAGASCAR TRIBUNE, 29 Nov 90]...
NAMIBIA

Forty-two AIDS Deaths, 505 HIV Cases Since ’85_ [Windhoek TIMES OF NAMIBIA, 5 Dec 90) .. 2
NIGERIA

Medical Association’s ‘Nonchalance’ Toward AIDS Problem Cited
[Laide Shokunbi; Lagos DAILY TIMES, 6 Nov 90] ..
Britain Continues Grants for AIDS Program [Paris A

SENEGAL

Since 1986, 425 AIDS Cases, 125 Deaths [Aly Coulibaly; Dakar SUD HEBDO, 29 Nov 90]
Since June 1990, 64 AIDS Cases Reported [Dakar LE SOLEIL, 26 Nov 90] ...
Twenty-Six AIDS Cases Identified in Louga Region

[Cheikh Camara; Dakar LE SOLEIL, 11 Oct 90]

SOUTH AFRICA

Health Department Updates AIDS Statistics /Johannesburg SOWETAN, 10 Jan 91]
AIDS Care Cost Predicted Too High for State [Johannesburg BEELD, 14 Nov 90]
Interdepartmental Group Discusses AIDS Control Campaign

[Johannesburg SABC TV 1 Network, 23 Jan 91)
Bishops’ Conference on Blame for Violence; AIDS [Johannesburg SAPA, 23 Jan 91]
Nonracial Resorts Adopt Anti-AIDS Measures

{Andre du Plessis; Johannesburg BEELD, 19 Nov 90] ......
AIDS Spreading Among White Teens

[Ryan Cresswell; Johannesburg SUNDAY TIMES, 2 Dec 90]...
Blood Donors Found To Be AIDS Carriers

[Mathatha Tsedu; Johannesburg SOWETAN, 20 Dec 90] ...
Cape Hospitals Running Short of AZT [Cape Town CAPE TIMES, 15 Dec 90]
Advisory Group Releases Western Cape AIDS Figures

[Glynnis Underhill; Cape Town CAPE TIMES, 7 Feb 91]
AIDS Tests Reportedly Done Without Consent

[Felicity Levine; Johannesburg SUNDAY TIMES, 13 Jan 91]

NN

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JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

CANADA

AIDS Cases in Quebec, HIV Compensation Plan,
Needle Exchange

Cases in Quebec, Nation

91WE0163 Windsor THE WINDSOR STAR in English
29 Nov 90 p C4

[Text] Montreal (CP—More women in Quebec are
infected with the AIDS virus than in other provinces,
says a Montreal researcher.

The blame rests with a large number of immigrants from
countries where the disease is widespread and the ram-
pant use of injection drugs, Dr. Catherine Hankins, head
of the AIDS Study Center at the Montreal General
Hospital, said Wednesday.

The research is even more startling because the incidence
of AIDS among homosexual and bisexual males in
Toronto and Vancouver is much higher than in Mont-
real, she said.

“I would say the prime reasons for the high rate of
women who are HIV-positive (who have the virus linked
to AIDS) in Montreal are two-fold,” said Hankins.

“First of all, we have a larger number of immigrants here
from Haiti and Africa than other Canadian cities. Sec-
ondly, there is a huge problem of injection drug use in
Montreal which is causing large numbers of both men
and women to become infected with HIV.”

Speaking to a group of about 200 medical researchers
and social workers at a conference on Women and AIDS
in Quebec, Hankins pointed out there are only 150
reported cases of women with AIDS in Quebec.

But Hankins said her research, based on testing babies at
birth, indicates there could be as many as 1,000 women
in the province who are infected with HIV.

There are 1,382 total reported cases of AIDS in Quebec.
Across the country, there have been 231 reported cases
in women of a total of 4,455, according to the Federal
AIDS Center.

Every baby born in Quebec is tested for the AIDS virus.
Hankins takes the number of HIV-positive babies and
estimates the number of women affected province-wide.

The reason the reported cases are so low, she said, is that
there is a great stigma attached to women either being
HIV-tested or being registered as having AIDS.

Even though the virus is showing up mainly in specific
groups of women, Hankins said more and more women
are in danger of contracting the AIDS virus.

“All this information means there is a great need to warn
women about AIDS,” said Hankins. “They must be
aware they are risking their own lives through unsafe sex
as well as the lives of their unborn children.”

WEST EUROPE 25

Another speaker at the forum said the main way women
can protect themselves against the AIDS virus is to insist
on safe sex from their partners.

“Women must demand that their sexual rights be
respected,” Maria de Koninck, head of women’s studies
at Laval University in Quebec City, said. “That means
they must be equal in relationships and they must have
the power to say ‘No’ to unprotected sex.”

HIV Compensation Program

91WE0161 Toronto THE GLOBE AND MAIL
in English 14 Dec 90 p A7

[Article by Beverly Smith]

{Text] Hundreds of Canadians infected with the AIDS
virus through blood transfusions are unaware of a federal
assistance program that ends this year, the Canadian
Hemophilia Society says. The deadline to apply for
assistance is December 31.

Health and Welfare Canada started the program a year
ago to provide compensation for people infected with the
human immunodeficiency virus through blood transfu-
sions. Before 1985, blood donors were not tested for
HIV.

So far, about 1,250 Canadians (950 hemophiliacs and
300 others) have been compensated under the plan,
under which applicants must prove that:

—They received blood or blood products in Canada
between 1978 and 1989;

—They became infected with HIV as a result of the
transfusions in Canada;

—They were Canadian citizens or landed immigrants
when they became infected.

They must also currently live in Canada.

The plan provides $120,000 in tax-free compensation
over four years not only to those with full-fledged cases
of AIDS but also to those who have tested positive for
the virus. The money goes to the estates of those who
have already died.

In the early 1980s, blood donors were not routinely
tested for HIV because tests were not available and
because researchers did not fully realize the risks associ-
ated with the virus. The Canadian Red Cross Society
now ensures that blood contaminated with the AIDS
virus is not used.

The federal government has said that no one was at fault
for earlier infection.

It has been estimated that more than 50 percent of
hemophiliacs in Canada have been infected with HIV.

Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder that affects
one in every 5,000 Canadian males. Although women



SPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

The hospital is firmly committed to an eight-point
guideline drawn up by Professor Erken on the handling
of AIDS patients.

The document has been distributed to all departments at
both Bara and the Johannesburg Hospital, and has also
been sent to hospitals throughout the country.

Professor Erken has advised hospital staff to display
pamphlets and posters containing the guidelines promi-
nently in waiting rooms, operating theatres and casualty
departments, rather than treating them as “confiden-
tial.”

The guidelines state that:

+ Patients due for an orthopaedic operation should be
tested for HIV infection with the patient’s consent,
and that patients who refuse to be tested should be
treated as HIV positive.

* The principle of “‘no-test-no-op” should be applied.

* No colleague should be forced to operate on an
HIV-positive patient.

+ Emergencies such as open fractures or acute sepsis in
HIV-positive patients should be handled with only
absolutely necessary surgical procedures.

+ HIV-positive patients should not be treated with
orthopaedic implants (total joints, plates, screws)
because of the increased risk of post- operative com-
plications.

Unethical

Despite the fact that several nurses and doctors at
provincial hospitals are known to have contracted AIDS
from patients, the TPA has slammed the practice of
testing for the killer virus without a patient’s consent or
prior knowledge as “unethical.”

A spokesman for the TPA’s directorate of hospital ser-
vices said: “We do not condone AIDS tests without the
patient’s consent.”

He also said it was “too expensive” to do routine AIDS
tests before every operation.

“In any event, a negative test is not conclusive,” he said.

“The ‘window period’ of AIDS means that a patient may
already have the virus, although it will not show up for
several weeks. In such cases, a test is of no use to the
medical staff.”

He would not comment on whether or not medical staff
doing tests without consent would face disciplinary
action.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 9

SWAZILAND

Epidemiologist Reports 3,000 HIV Carriers in
Country

MBI1701101991 Mbabane THE TIMES OF
SWAZILAND in English 17 Jan 91 p 24

[Report by Vusie Ginindza: “3,000 Are HIV Positive”)

{Text] At least 3,000 people in the country are believed
to be carriers of HIV, the virus which gives rise to AIDS,
according to the epidemiologist in the AIDS Section,
Mrs. Wazi Dlamini.

She said that research had revealed that for every fully
blown AIDS case confirmed in the kingdom, there were
at least a hundred cases of HIV carriers, walking around.

Presently, Mrs. Dlamini said that AIDS sufferers have
been confirmed which means that an estimated 3,000
people now have the virus which will eventually deteri-
orate into full AIDS cases.

Mrs. Dlamini pointed out however that a comprehensive
nationwide survey has not been carried out to determine
the true extent of the prevalence of the disease, and that
the available figures are therefore based on general
research.

She stated that this figure might even be less than the
actual number of cases, taking into consideration that
some people die in their homes without coming to
hospital.

Mrs. Dlamini said the most frightening fact is that
people who are HIV never know that they are carrying
the disease, and continue passing it on, until they fall
sick and die.

She said that the department could not rely on a survey
that was conducted late last year which indicated an
AIDS prevalence of 2.85 percent of the numbers of
people tested, because of the short length of time in
which it was conducted.

However, she said, the general assumption is that one to
two percent of the total population has AIDS. This
would suggest that there is presently more than 10,000
HIV carriers.

In a research report that she presented in an AIDS
seminar at the Mountain Inn this week, Mrs. Dlamini
stated that the most affected age groups range between
12 and 40 years.

UGANDA

Museveni Proposes 4-Point Battle Against AIDS

91WE0183 Kampala THE NEW VISION in English
10 Jan 91 pp 1, 12

[Article by Ndyakira Amooti]

[Excerpts] President Museveni has suggested four mea-
sures to tackle the AIDS problem. These include: pre-
vention of further infection, caring for the children



12 EAST ASIA

number of foreign females affected rose four-fold to 18,
mostly because of sexual contact with males.

An analysis of detailed figures kept since enactment of
the AIDS prevention law in February 1989 shows that of
176 persons affected with the virus, males make up 72.7
percent and females make up 27.3 percent.

If cases stemming from contamination from blood prod-
ucts are added to those which result from sexual contact,
the number of patients reaches 371, while the number of
people with HIV is 1,627.

AIDS Surveillance Committee Chief Yuichi Shiokawa
said regional areas of the country are now reporting more
AIDS cases.

The risk of foreign women in Japan contracting AIDS is
also growing, he said.

A special AIDS Liaison Committee consisting of repre-
sentatives from relevant ministries will be formed next
month, he added.

SOUTH KOREA

Four Test HIV Positive for January

$K0102025691 Seoul YONHAP in English 0230 GMT
1 Feb 91

[Text] Seoul, Feb 1 (YONHAP)—The Health and Social
Affairs Ministry said Friday that four Koreans tested
HIV positive in January.

Two contracted the human immunodeficiency virus that
causes AIDS while working overseas, and two by
unknown means.

This brought the number of Koreans who have con-
tracted AIDS to 131. Of them, five are dead and one
went abroad for treatment.

MALAYSIA

Authorities Say AIDS Carriers Number More
Than 12,000

91WE0171A Kuala Lumpur BERITA HARIAN
in Malay 2 Jan 91 p 1

[Article by M. Thillinadan}

[Text] Kuala Lumpur, | Jan—The Special Antidrug
Task Force of the National Security Council suspects
that there are more than 12,000 carriers of the AIDS
virus (HIV) in this country.

Zainuddin Abdul Bahari, director of the task force, said
there are now 500 known carriers of the.AIDS virus.

“This number does not reflect the true situation in the
country and is believed to be much lower than the true
figure,” he told BERITA HARIAN.

JPRS-TEP-91-003
12 February 1991

“The actual number may reach 12,000 if we consider the
number of drug users in the country,” he said.

He said the 500 carriers were discovered through tests on
almost 15,000 drug users at treatment centers, rehabili-
tation centers, and prisons.

“We believe the actual number of AIDS virus carriers
outside prison and rehabilitation centers is greater than
the number we know about,” he said.

At this time, he said, more than 100,000 drug users have
been identified in the country. Of these, 80 percent
smoke drugs, and 10 percent use injections.

Zainuddin said that a drug user who has become an
AIDS virus carrier can easily pass the virus to another
user by reuse of needles.

Because of this, he believes that the actual number of
AIDS virus carriers is much larger than the number of
those already identified.

“There is a big chance that a drug user who uses needles
will get the AIDS virus. The virus is also easily trans-
mitted through homosexual relations.

“The transmission of the virus by homosexuals usually
occurs in prisons, and this has become a big problem in
some of the advanced countries,” he said.

He stated that the same situation could occur among
prisoners in this country’s jails if immediate steps are not
taken to prevent it. So far, 47 prisoners in Malaysia have
been confirmed as AIDS virus carriers.

Zainuddin said that the most effective ways to control
the number of carriers are isolation, education, and
supervision.

SINGAPORE

Four More Infected With AIDS Virus

BK2501121291 Singapore THE STRAITS TIMES
in English 25 Jan 91 p 26

[Text] Four more Singaporean men were found infected
with the AIDS virus in November and December last
year, said a Health Ministry statement yesterday.

The men, who are from 19 to 38 years old, are believed
to have been infected through sexual contacts, both here
and abroad.

Two other Sigaporean men died of AIDS-related ill-
nesses during this period. They were previously found to
be infected by the human immuno-deficiency (HIV)
virus which causes AIDS.

So far, 61 Singaporeans have been found to be infected
with the virus.