NEAR EAST AND SOUTH ASIA: VULNERABLE TO THE AIDS PANDEMIC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05-00761R000100980001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 17, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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1 - DD/NESA
1 - NIC/Analytic Group 7E47 Hqs
1 - C/NESA/PPS
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1 - C/PES
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6 - CPAS/IMB/CB
1 - C/NESA/AI
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1 - C/NESA/PG
1 - C/NESA/SO
1 - ALA/AF/C
1 - OIR/ACSD/AM
1 - D/DC/S&T/OSWR
1 - OSWR/STD/LSB
1 - DDS&T/ORD
1 - OGI/ECD/ES
1 - DI/CRES/IRC
1 - OGI/FSIC/AM
1 - ALA/MCD
1 - SOVA/NI/DP/SI
1 - OGI/GD/EGP
1 - CAD/OMS
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1 - NIC/AG Subj.
1 - NESA/IA Chrono
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Aids Pandemic
1 - Jeff Harris, AID
1 - Dr. Beverly Berger, OSTP
1 - OSD/Military Manpower and
1 - William J. Walsh, III, Presidential Commission on AIDS
1 - Dr. Houston Dewey, AFMIC
1 - Walter Lockwood, Director of International Health
Policy/State
1 - Neil A. Boyer, State/IO/T
1 - Thomas Garnett, OSD, Civilian Policy
1 - Andrew W. Marshall, OSD, Director of Net Assessment
Personnel Policy
1 - DIA/DB-5D3
1 - DIA/DB-8D4
1 - Gail Reinheimer, NSA SIGINT NIO/At Large
1 - Dr. C. Everett Koop, US Surgeon General
1 - Ms. Sandra Charles, OSD/ISA/NESA
1 - John Wolf, State/NEA/RA
1 - Ron Lorton, State/INR/NESA
1 - Aaron Miller, State/Policy Planning
1 - Janean Mann, State/INR/NESA
1 - Norman Hastings, State/NE/Pol-Mil
1 - Dr. Paul A. Goff, State/M/MED
1 - Dr. James Curran, Center for Disease Control
Center for Infectious Diseases
1 - Dr. John R. LaMontagne, National Institute of Health
National Center for Infectious Diseases
1 - William Nietz, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Oceans and International Environmental and
Scientific Affairs, State
1 - DIA/DB5D3
1 - DIA/DB5E3
1 - DIA/DIO (William Struck)
1 - INR/GE (Suella Pipal)
DIR/DCI/DDCI Exec Staff
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ADDI
VC/NIC
NIO/AF
NIO/NESA
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NIO at Large
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Central Intelligence Agency
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
17 March 1988
Near East and South Asia:
Vulnerable to the AIDS Pandemic
Summary
The number of reported cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) in the Near East and South Asia is currently low, but the lack of
public awareness about the disease, inadequate health systems, and
prevailing sexual and cultural practices make the region vulnerable to the
spread of AIDS. In addition, extensive trade networks, significant tourist
flows, and large migratory labor forces throughout the region increase the
risk of transmission from individuals with AIDS or infected with its
causative retrovirus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
A spread of the disease would put a serious financial burden on
governments because of increased health care expenditures and could lead
to significant population losses in socioeconomic groups essential to future
development--namely, midlevel economic and political managers, agrarian
and urban workers, and military personnel. Although most countries are
beginning to establish national health plans to deal with the AIDS
pandemic, Near Eastern and South Asian countries are likely to request
increased Western medical and technical assistance to deal with the
problem over the next several years. At the same time, the widespread
perception that Westerners are responsible for spreading AIDS may fuel
anti-Western sentiment in the region.
This memorandum was pre ared by I Arab-Israeli
Division, and Issues and Applications Division, Office
of Near Eastern an South Asian Analysis, with a contribution byE:
OSWR. Comments and queries may be directed to
uniet, issues and Applications Division
NESA PSI 88-20030
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Current Reporting
The fragmentary and sporadic reporting
on AIDS in the Near East and South
Asia is largely anecdotal and based on
limited studies of high risk groups that
are not representative of the entire
region or of an individual country.
Nevertheless, we believe sufficient
information is available to make a
preliminary survey of AIDS in the
region and assess the domestic and
international implications.
The reported number of AIDS cases and
of healthy individuals who test positive
for HIV infection vary widely
throughout the region. Israel, Qatar,
and the United Arab Emirates have the
highest reported incidence of AIDS and
HIV infection, ranging from 2.8 to 9.5
per 100,000 persons. These rates are
significantly lower than reported rates of
AIDS cases in Uganda, Zimbabwe, and
the Congo--where rates are between 14.9
and 137.3 per 100,000 persons--and for
the United States, with a reported
incidence of 19.3 AIDS cases per
100,000 persons. The estimated
incidence of HIV infection in Africa and
the United States, however, is
significantly higher than reported cases
of AIDS. In Uganda, Zimbabwe and
the Congo estimates of HIV infection
range between 2,500 and 15,000 per
100,00 persons; HIV infection in the
United States is estimated at 411 per
100,000. Estimated rates of HIV
infection in Near Eastern and South
Asian countries are not available because
of the lack of sufficient epidemiological
studies in the region.
Most Near Eastern and South Asian
countries officially report the existence
of only a few cases of AIDS or HIV
infections. The numbers reported often
fluctuate, however, possibly reflecting
the death of persons with AIDS or the
deportation of foreigners with AIDS or
infected with HIV.* Because diagnostic
and testing capabilities in the region are
limited, the actual numbers of AIDS
cases and HIV infections certainly are
much higher than reported levels. The
number of recognized AIDS cases and
HIV infections probably will increase as
governments implement national health
plans that include testing high risk
groups and screening national blood
supplies:
o Egypt reported no cases of AIDS in
early 1986. A testing program has been
implemented and the Egyptian Ministry
of Health reported 32 cases of AIDS in
February 1988.
o India had no confirmed cases of
AIDS in early 1986. Six positive HIV
cases were confirmed among prostitutes
four months later, and the government
designated two laboratories and seven
referral centers to collect blood from
high risk groups, such as prostitutes, IV
drug users, and eunuchs. By mid-July
1987, 143 people tested positive for HIV
infection, including 17 who had
developed AIDS.
o The UAE began an extensive testing
program after a woman was diagnosed
with AIDS in mid-1985. Last year, 22
people were reported to have died of
AIDS and 360 people tested positive for
HIV infection--30 percent nationals and
the remainder foreigners--according to
the UAE Ministry of Health.
The numbers reported by the World
Health Organization are cumulative
numbers of AIDS cases and do not
include individuals infected with HIV.
We believe a majority of the
foreigners who tested positive for HIV
infection were resident visa or visa
renewal applicants who were either
denied entry or deported.
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A Description of AIDS and HIV
Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease
Syndrome (AIDS) is a clinical illness
complex caused by human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The
disease causes the immune system to
deteriorate, and there may be gradual or
sudden onset of a variety of tumors or
infections to which healthy individuals
without the disease are usually quite
resistant. Some cases of AIDS show signs
of damage to the brain or spinal cord,
which can result in partial paralysis,
confusion, or loss ofjudgement--with
eventual progress to dementia. Some
AIDS cases consist of chronic diarrhea
with progressive loss of weight. Death
from untreated AIDS in adults usually
occurs in one to two years; infants may
die more rapidly.
HIV is a retrovirus, meaning the genetic
material of the virus is inserted into a
person's cells at the time of infection--
where it probably persists for life. HIV
can be transmitted by unsafe homosexual
or heterosexual relations between an
infected and an uninfected partner;
transfer of infected blood or tissue;
transfusion of infected blood or blood
products; transplantation of infected body
parts; sharing contaminated needles
among intravenous drug users; and direct
transmission from mother to child most
likely during pregnancy, birth, or through
Fifty percent or more of individuals
infected with HIV--possibly 100 percent--
develop AIDS. Available drugs for
treating HI V infection may prolong life,
but no cure for AIDS has been found.
Minimal progress has been made toward
developing a vaccine against HIV
infection.
Vulnerabilities
We believe several factors make the
Near Eastern and South Asian region
vulnerable to a spread of the disease.
Widespread ignorance about AIDS and
its various methods of transmission will
probably contribute most to an
increased incidence of the disease,
particularly among high risk groups that
are still generally unaware of the danger.
Most government officials are reluctant
to acknowledge the existence of social
and medical problems that are widely
perceived as resulting from Western
lifestyles and moral decadence, fearing it
would subject them to heightened
domestic political criticism. Moreover,
some governments undoubtedly fear that
a high rate of AIDS and HIV infection
may prompt a decline in tourism--a
major source of foreign exchange in
several countries such as Morocco and
Tunisia. The few government
campaigns undertaken thus far to
educate the public by means of booklets
and pamphlets are hindered by high
levels of illiteracy and popular mistrust,
even disdain, toward government-
sponsored sex education programs.
Inadequate health systems and poor
medical facilities and practices probably
will contribute to the spread of HIV
infection in the region. Generally
unsanitary conditions prevail at many
hospitals and clinics; some Western
observers report widespread indifference
by medical staff and technicians to
spillage of blood and the use of
unsterilized instruments for invasive
medical procedures. Moreover, US
Embassy and defense attache reporting
indicate extensive reuse of needles
without sterilization in many countries.
The multiple use of unclean needles for
immunization could spread the disease
quickly among young children, although
this risk is believed to be less severe than
multiple usage of needles for drawing
blood or intravenous injection of drugs.
Some Near Eastern countries are
vulnerable because of their proximity to,
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and extensive contact with, individuals
living in Sub-Saharan Africa where
AIDS cases and HIV infections are
widespread. The southern regions of
Sudan, and to a lesser degree
Mauritania, are particularly susceptible
because local inhabitants have regular
contact and share similar cultural mores
with their southern neighbors--Uganda,
Central African Republic, and Zaire--
where the per capita incidence of AIDS
is among the highest in the world. In
addition, the Nile River in Egypt and
Sudan, a principal transportation and
commercial route, may provide a major
conduit for a spread of the disease from
central Africa. AIDS could be
transmitted by traders and merchants
using the Nile, just as infected truck
drivers passed the disease along their
truck routes in Kenya and Uganda. F_
Also vulnerable to HIV infection are
urban elites, migratory workers, tourists,
and students--including youth who study
in the United States and Europe--who
may become infected through unsafe
sexual practices, intravenous drug use, or
through contact with contaminated
blood. Two Kuwaiti men who had
studied in the United States, for
example, tested positive for HIV
infection on a pre-employment blood
test given by a Kuwaiti employer in late
1987, according to US Embassy
reporting. At the same time, the
incidence of unsafe heterosexual
promiscuity among males traveling
outside the NESA region--for example,
involvement with prostitutes--is
considered high by some observers,
which might put affluent socioeconomic
groups with an ability to travel abroad
at a higher ri sk of HIV infection. F_
The region's massive labor migration
patterns--North Africans to Europe,
South and East Asians to oil-rich Arab
countries, as well as the large migratory
work force within the Arab world--raise
the potential risk for an increase in
AIDS cases and HIV infections. In
Saudi Arabia, for example, nearly 3
million foreigners--about 60 percent of
the total Saudi labor force--work in the
kingdom.
Cultural and religious practices in the
region may also contribute to the spread
of HIV infection and make detection
and tracking of the disease more
difficult. Medical authorities in many
areas of the region are frequently
prevented from determining cause of
death because of widespread opposition
to autopsies and funeral practices that
call for the almost immediate disposal of
corpses. Other cultural practices that
involve the use of unsterilized needles
and other instruments include:
o Tatooing, which is practiced widely
throughout the Near East and South
Asia by men and women.
o Ritual scarring, which is prevalent in
southern Sudan and among other tribes
in North Africa.
o Female circumcision and infibulation,
still practiced in some areas of Egypt,
Sudan, and other North African
countries. Circumcision increases
chances of HIV transmission during
sexual intercourse.
While these practices would be expected
to increase the risk of HIV transmission,
there is as yet little credible data which
define their role in spreading HIV
infection.
Some academic studies and
knowledgeable Western observers
postulate that there may be a higher
incidence of male bisexuality in some
Near Eastern and South Asian countries
than in the West because of strict
religious and cultural prohibitions
against the intermingling of the sexes
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and against the involvement of women
in premarital sexual relationships.
According to this view, sexual relations
between men are often socially tolerated
in the region--including in conservative
Muslim societies such as Saudi Arabia
and Iran--despite religious strictures to
the contrary. In addition to abetting the
spread of the disease among men
through unsafe sexual practices,
bisexuality also increases the risk of HIV
transmission to women.
Coping with AIDS and HIV Infection
Most government officials in Near
Eastern and South Asian countries see
AIDS as endemic to the West,
attributing local cases of AIDS or HIV
infection to the use of infected imported
blood supplies, transfusions while
abroad, and travel or living overseas.
Moreover, government officials often
suppress helpful, prevention-oriented
information that the disease is
transmitted through intravenous drug
abuse and homosexual practices--two
major means of transmission in the
West--and through heterosexual
contact--the major mode of transmission
in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nevertheless, Near Eastern and South
Asian governments are becoming more
concerned about the spread of the
disease and are trying to find ways to
cope with its potentially serious medical,
financial, and political implications. An
increasing number of government
officials are attending international and
regional conferences on AIDS and
AIDS-related issues:
o Many countries sent delegations to
London this past January to attend an
international AIDS conference
sponsored by Great Britain and the
World Health Organization. The
executive bureau of Arab League health
ministers met separately in London
during the conference to discuss an Arab
strategy to combat AIDS.
o Kuwait hosted its second Middle East
conference on AIDS a few weeks after
the London conference. The conference
addressed the latest virus research,
identification of the disease, means of
treatment, and social, legal and
psychological problems associated with
AIDS.
Many governments are beginning to
incorporate AIDS programs into their
national health plans--usually with
technical assistance from the World
Health Organization. The potential
efficacy of these programs, in our view,
depends largely on the government's
willingness to confront the disease
openly, mainly through public education
programs, training for health and
medical personnel, and improved testing
and blood screening capabilities.
Although available information usually
does not indicate how much money
governments have set aside for AIDS
education, testing, screening, and
treatment, we believe few countries in
the region are prepared to allocate scarce
budgetary resources to deal with AIDS
when hepatitis, typhoid, measles, and
other prevalent diseases pose more
immediate health care problems. Some
sharp increases in AIDS-related health
care expenditures have been noted,
however; the Israeli Health Ministry set
aside only $50,000 for an AIDS
screening program in its budget in 1986
while subsequent budgets were to
allocate $1 million annually.
Testing Capabilities. Despite public
denials about the incidence of AIDS or
HIV infection, many Near Eastern and
South Asian countries have initiated
ambitious testing programs.
Governmental uncertainty and even fear
probably are responsible for unusually
large orders of HIV test kits, a blood
testing kit often used to identify
individuals who are infected with HIV:
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o Iraq was seeking 1.7 million HIV test
kits from Western suppliers in October
1987.
o Iran was seeking over one million
HIV test kits in July 1987.
o Saudi Arabia was seeking offers for
250,000 HIV test kits last July.
o Jordan requested 25,000 HIV test kits
last August for its armed forces.
Some countries--especially the Gulf
Arab states--appear to be ordering large
quantities of HIV test kits to test foreign
students and workers. Moreover, large
orders of test kits by Jordan, Iran, and
Iraq may reflect governmental concern
that AIDS might spread through their
armed forces, reducing their military
capabilities.
Testing procedures and practices in the
region, however, are improving only
slowly. Medical personnel are often
provided only the most rudimentary
information on the disease, and most
countries lack the capability of tracking
the spread of AIDS from person to
person. In addition, few health facilities
have been designated to diagnose the
disease and test for HIV infection. In
Algeria, for example, only one institute
has the capability to test for HIV
infection. In Saudi Arabia, the King
Fahd Hospital in Riyadh was able to
perform only the first part of the HIV
test as of August 1987, according to
Department of Defense reporting.
National health plans usually emphasize
testing high risk groups for HIV
infection. For many countries facing
financial constraints, testing high risk
groups--prostitutes, eunuchs,
homosexuals, and foreign workers--is a
relatively low cost alternative to a
comprehensive testing program. Such a
discriminatory policy, however, may lull
the general public into a false sense of
security about their own risk, divert
attention from the need for public health
education, and promote xenophobia. In
addition, it fails to educate young people
about the relationship between AIDS
and unsafe sexual practices and drug
A few countries, however, have initiated
ambitious programs to test for HIV
infection:
o Israel has set up seven centers to test
civilians free of charge. In addition, the
Israeli military has tested about 60
percent--298,000 persons--of its
compulsory, reserve, and permanent
service personnel as of early 1988.
o Kuwait has volunteered to be the
regional center for the mandatory testing
of emigrees to the United States as
required by US law, according to US
Embassy reporting.
o The United Arab Emirates tests
resident visa and visa renewal applicants
for HIV infection at a rate of 1000
individuals per day, according to the
UAE Ministry of Health. Still, about
200 to 300 resident visa applicants per
day and all non-resident applicants are
not tested because of cost limitations.
Screening Blood Supplies. Despite
medical evidence that AIDS has spread
from blood transfusions performed in
the early to mid-1980s--when imported
blood was not tested for HIV infection--
blood screening capabilities in Near
Eastern and South Asian countries
generally remain poor. Many countries
still import most of their blood supplies,
although some countries have begun to
rely on domestic sources for their
medical needs in order to halt the spread
.of AIDS through infected imported
blood. At the same time, most
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AIDS & HIV Infection in
Near East & South Asia*
* Numbers reflect only reported cases of AIDS and
HIV infection. Actual numbers almost certainly
are higher, but lack of statistical sampling prevents
an accurate estimate of AIDS and HIV infection in
the region.
countries lack the technical expertise and
equipment to screen domestic blood
supplies. Algeria plans to begin
screening domestic blood at six regional
centers in February 1988, but
nationwide screening will not be
achieved until after 1989, according to
US Embassy reporting.
Other Defensive Measures: Entry
Restrictions, Deportations, Isolation
Centers
Many countries, such as Egypt, Libya,
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq, are
requiring proof of HIV non-
contamination--often referred to as
AIDS-free certificates in local reporting--
before granting visas and work permits
to foreigners:
o Egyptian health regulations require
HIV testing of all foreigners
Information available as of
1 March 1988
living in Egypt. Until recently,
enforcement was aimed almost
exclusively at students from black
African states, according to US Embassy
reporting. In addition, Egypt's Ministry
of Defense is enforcing requirements that
call for foreigners--including US
citizens--seeking security clearances for
access to Egyptian military sites to
present evidence that they are free of
HIV infection.
o Foreigners entering Iraq are required
to undergo tests in Iraq for HIV
infection; non-Iraqi medical reports are
not acceptable. Three hospitals in
Baghdad were assigned responsibility in
late 1986 for granting health certificates
to all foreigners entering the country.
o India's Directorate General of Health
Services established guidelines in 1987 to
govern IIIV testing. All foreigners,
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including students and workers, who
intend to stay in India for more than
one year are to be tested for HIV
infection. About 6,600 foreign students
had been tested by December 1987 with
23 testing positive for HIV.
Government officials face a dilemma
when an individual--either foreigner or
national--is diagnosed with AIDS or
tests positive for HIV infection.
Western concerns, such as
confidentiality, hospice care, and
treatment for secondary infections, are
generally ignored in most Near Eastern
and South Asian countries because of
the lack of medical facilities to treat
AIDS patients. The Israeli military
discharges soldiers who test positive for
HIV infection from military service.
Many governments deport foreigners
who are diagnosed with AIDS or test
positive for HIV infection, although
such action is diplomatically sensitive:
o Iraq deported 15 Zambian Army
personnel after tests done by Iraqi
doctors found them to be HIV positive,
o India's deportations of 10 African
students who tested positive for HIV
infection in early 1987 prompted
protests on several university campuses
around the country. The deported
students claimed they were unfairly
singled out for testing because they were
Isolation of citizens with AIDS or
infected with HIV is one governmental
response emerging in many states--
especially among the Gulf Arabs:
o Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health
issued a directive in 1985 that called for
Saudis in the advanced stages of AIDS
to be placed in isolation hospitals, or
when necessary, sent abroad for
treatment. Saudis who test positive for
HIV infection will be informed of their
o The UAE is establishing isolation
centers in each of the seven emirates for
individuals with AIDS.
o Kuwait plans to isolate any Kuwaiti
who tests positive for AIDS. Isolation
will be in a home setting where the
individual will be allowed to work in his
or her profession, if possible, and where
family and friends may visit, according
to US Embassy reporting.
o Algeria has sent about 20 military
personnel with AIDS to an old French
Foreign Legion fort in southern Algeria
for medical observation. Seven more
officers with AIDS at an Algerian
military hospital are awaiting evacuation,
according to
Implications for US and Western
Interests
A widespread perception that Westerners
are responsible for spreading AIDS may
fuel anti-Western sentiment in Near
Eastern and South Asian countries.
Disinformation campaigns--such as the
Soviet Union's in the mid-1980s--
alleging US responsibility for the
outbreak and spread of AIDS might
make some countries reluctant to allow
expanded US commercial presence or
grant military basing agreements and
port calls. Various disinformation
efforts have focused on intentional US
delivery of infected blood to Third
World nations, the danger posed by
HIV-infected US servicemen, and
purported scholarly works alleging
intentional US production of the virus.
Some locally inspired disinformation has
surfaced in the Near East and South
Asia; the Pakistani press, for example,
warned against allowing US sailors from
the USS Kitty Hawk to visit Karachi
last April because of the threat of AIDS.
Disinformation in the Cairo press
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attributed the spread of AIDS to an
Israeli plot to destroy the Egyptian
population.
Near Eastern and South Asian countries
are likely to request increased Western
medical and technical assistance to deal
with the pandemic over the next several
years. Egypt and Sudan have already
sought the help of the US Naval
Medical Research facility in Cairo in
setting up their national health plans,
testing facilities, and blood screening
programs. Sudan has also asked the
European Community to provide
technical support to help establish a
central AIDS laboratory in Khartoum
and three other regional laboratories.
Any allocation of scarce domestic
resources to deal with the AIDS
problem in poor countries almost
certainly would prompt requests for
offsetting external assistance.
Countries in the Near East and South
Asia probably believe the United States
and other Western nations have a special
responsibility to help combat the spread
of AIDS as they associate the disease
with perceived Western decadence--
including sexual promiscuity and drug
abuse. Most governments probably
expect the United States and other
Western nations to allocate financial,
medical, and technical resources for
AIDS research. In particular, these
countries almost certainly will continue
to rely on the West to develop vaccines,
inexpensive and accurate test kits, and
therapies that could be used in the less
developed world.
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PREVALENCE OF AIDS: SELECTED COUNTRIES
Country
AIDS
Cases
HIV
Cases
Algeria
37
60
(1/88)**
(2/88)
Egypt
32*
NA
(2/88)
India
17
143
(7/87)
(7/87)
Iran
40*
NA
(6/87)
Iraq
NA
NA
Israel
45
201
(12/87)
(4/87)
Jordan
4
8
(10/87)
(2/88)
Kuwait
7*
2
(6/87)
(12/87)
Mauritania
0
2
(11/86)
(12/87)
Comment
Government beginning to allow open media
coverage of AIDS in Algeria.
An American-born professor at American
University in Cairo died from AIDS complications
in late 1986. A local editorial criticized the
Egyptian government for allowing the professor
to enter the country.
First 6 cases of HIV infection found in port city of
Madras -- staging point for Indian soldiers going
to Sri Lanka.
Medical personnel believe blood transfusions and
unsanitary needles major causes of spread of
AIDS.
Government officials plan to establish a central
laboratory and 26 testing centers.
Military considering testing recruits for AIDS after
8 soldiers tested positive. Condom vending
machines installed in military barracks. .
Public education program implemented;
Jordanian Minister of Health is chairman of a
committee of Arab Health Ministers tasked to
draft legislation of an Arab response to the AIDS
pandemic.
Kuwait is planning to build a $10.5 million
treatment center for AIDS victims.
No facilities exist to test donor blood for
transfusions. European Development Fund
promised to construct facility, but no date set for
completion
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PREVALENCE OF AIDS: SELECTED COUNTRIES (Continued)
Country
AIDS
Cases
HIV
Cases
Qatar
9
NA
(5/87)
Saudi Arabia
3*
NA
(8/87)
Sudan
12
14***
(8/87)
(1/88)
Tunisia
11
40
(12/87)
(2/87)
UAE
22
108****
(1/88)
(1/88)
Comment
Annual purchases of HIV testing kits about 36,000
as of April 1987
Foreign workers to be tested before entering the
country and again three months after their arrival.
High risk groups identified by health officials
include refugees from Ethiopia and Uganda,
soldiers returning from the civil war in the south,
homeless boys in Khartoum, and those living in
southern provinces.
A Tunis hospital ward reportedly treating only
AIDS patients. Education programs on AIDS
planned with private US assistance -- but only as
part of program on sexually transmitted diseases.
treatment.
Isolation centers to be established in each
emirate during 1988; two became operational in
November 1987. Patients to receive
psychological counseling as well as medical
* The number may include persons who tested positive for HIV infection as well as
those who have AIDS.
** Date of information.
*** Includes seven persons from a small sample study which tested 80 homeless
boys in Khartoum for HIV infection; seven percent tested positive.
**** The number does not include the average one carrier per day found in
screening resident visa and visa renewal applicants.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP05-00761 R000100980001-6