Papua AIDS Eradication Commission (PPAD) chief Constant Karma says his team has found at least 10,522 people living with HIV/AIDS in the province this year.
“We have found that [HIV/AIDS] has found its way to the remote villages, as earlier predicted,” Karma said Friday as quoted by Antara state news wire.
He added that among them Jayapura topped the list, accounting for 2,012 cases, followed by the Jayawijaya District with 1,600 cases.
Karma said people who were HIV positive were largely between 15 and 40 years of age.
He also said circumcision may help to control the spread of HIV infection, as had been found by several Middle Eastern countries and the Philippines.
“We are going to need all the help we can get from public figures and the church to assist us in campaigning for the need for circumcision to minimize the risk of HIV infection,” he said.