Reuters-Myanmar raises alarm on AID

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar raises alarm on AIDS, says disease rampant 

Myanmar raises alarm on AIDS, says disease rampant
05:53 a.m. Jul 02, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, July 2 (Reuters) - Myanmar has called for urgent efforts to fight
the spread of AIDS, which it said was rampant throughout the country.

``Official statistics show AIDS has now spread to all states and divisions.
Therefore, it is required to step up the momentum in carrying out preventive
and control measures,'' Health Minister Major General Ket Sein was quoted as
saying on Thursday by the official Myanma News Agency.

He said blood testing during September 1998 indicated that 0.7 percent of
blood donors in Yangon and 0.97 percent in the city of Mandalay were found
to be HIV positive.

Official statistics released in 1997 show over 10,000 HIV-infected people
and about 2,000 AIDS patients in Myanmar.

World Health Organisation experts estimate that the actual number of the
Human Immunodeficiency Virus carriers and Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome patients is much higher.

The minister stressed the need to systematically organise HIV-free
blood-donation campaigns and carry out more education campaigns.

In the past, Myanmar has rarely disclosed details of the number of AIDS
patients in its population.