Archive of "Aids: 20,000 cleared", The Straits Times, 29 November 1985

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Aids: 20,000 cleared

By KONG SOOK CHIN

Those tested MORE than 20,000 people in Singapore have been screened and all have been found to be free of the Aids virus

Those who had their blood tested under the Health Ministry’s screening programme included blood donors and 2,500 prostitutes

The result was described as miraculous yesterday by Professor Jean-Claude Chermann, the man who discovered the Aids virus.

Dr Ong Yong Wan. Chairman of the Aias Advisory Committee, announced the results of the screening programme yesterday. She said Singapore had the advantage of learning about the disease from countries such as the United States and France.

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She said that the ministry had taken all measures to prevent the spread of the disease. There were only five carriers and all are still all right.

With a safe blood supply, because of 100 per cent screening of donor-blood. there is no longer a threat of infection through blood transfusions. Dr Ong said.

Focus on public education

This leaves sexual contact with infected people as the main way by which the Aids virus can be spread.

So the Health Ministry will focus on public education on the risks of promiscuity through

talks, posters and publications. Dr Ong said

The screening of blood donors is an ongoing exercise and the ministry will keep a dose watch on the situation where high-risk groups, such as homosexuals and prostitutes, are concerned. Anyone who requests for tests will be tested.

Dr Jimmy Sng. a member of the committee and who is with the Pathology Department of the ministry, said that early next year, the confirmation test for exposure to the Aids virus, the Western Blot test which is now done overseas, would be carried out in Singapore.

Equipment for the Western Blot test laboratory of the department has been set up and staff trained to do the test. The test kits from Australia will arrive early next year

Dr Flossie Wong-Staal of the US National Cancer Institute said that the situation in Singapore was under control and would not reach the proportions in the United States.

Prof Chermann and Dr Wong-Staal were interviewed after they met the Aids Advisory Committee yesterday at the Singapore General Hospital.

Prof Chermann is head of the viral oncology laboratory of Institut Pasteur in Paris and Dr Wong-Staal is head of the molecular biology section of NCI.

=See also=
 * Archive of "Three in S’pore found with Aids-linked virus", The Straits Times, 10 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids virus: Doctor who 'found it'", The Sunday Times, 14 April 1985
 * Archive of "Special lab to do Aids tests soon", The Straits Times, 18 May 1985
 * Archive of "Man with Aids related virus in hospital", The Straits Times, 21 July 1985
 * Archive of "Screening tests likely to uncover more Aids carriers", The Straits Times, 1 May 1986
 * Archive of "Aids claims first victim here", The Straits Times, 11 April 1987
 * Archive of "Fear of Aids pushes up condom sales", The Straits Times, 19 April 1987
 * Archive of "Govt dental clinics phasing out boiling", The Straits Times, 1 October 1987
 * HIV/AIDS in Singapore's LGBT community
 * Paddy Chew
 * Avin Tan
 * Ajmal Khan
 * Calvin Tan
 * Adrian Tyler

=References=
 * Kong Sook Chin, "", The Straits Times, 29 November 1985[].

=Acknowledgements=

This article was archived by Roy Tan.