Harian Berita Sore

Medan, N Sumatra ( Berita ) :  The number of HIV/AIDS carriers in North Sumatra has continued to increase, while the number of those who have died of the disease has so far has been recorded at 107 in the province, a volunteer worker said.

“Data gathered from a number of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) in North Sumatra, indicated that from June 2005 to November 2008, a total of 1,520 patients were tested positive HIV infected and 461 of them were advanced carriers of the AIDS virus,” Global Fund Project Officer Andi Ilham Lubis said on Sunday.

He said that the finding only accounted for ten percent of the estimate at 11,044 cases, and new finding would continue to increase if each district and sub-districts had a VCT clinic center.

He said that up to now, only 15 VCT clinic centers had been set up in North Sumatra, among others, in the districts of Deli Serdang, Simalungun, Langkat, Tanjung Balai and Tobasa. In general, VCT clinic centers in the subdistrict level are only available at the public community health care centers (Puskesman). “With the availability of the VCT clinic center, it is expected that the people are expected to come on their own will to consul ( ant )