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wo out of 650 babies and children suffering malnutrition in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) are infected with HIV/AIDS, contributing to the growing number of people living with the disease in the province.

Head of the Healthcare Unit at NTB General Hospital, Sri Sartika, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the two children were a 7-month-old girl from West Lombok and a 15-month-old boy from Mataram city.

They were initially being treated at the children's ward of the hospital between September and October after being admitted suffering acute malnutrition.

"Generally, those treated for malnutrition at the hospital suffer from a complication of diseases. Two of them have tested postitive to HIV/AIDS," she said.

She added they had been found to be infected with the disease after hospital authorities conducted blood tests on the two toddlers at the hospital's Voluntary and Counseling Testing (VCT) clinic.

Based on the VCT test results, it was estalished that their parents were also infected with the disease.

According to head of the children's ward at the hospital, Nuriyati, the babies were suffering from high fever and diarrhea as well as low body weight when they were admitted to hospital.

"Their initial diagnosis was malnutrition, but after running the tests, they are apparently suffering from HIV/AIDS. The condition of the two children has since improved, and they have been allowed to return home," she said.

She added the hospital had treated at least 120 malnutrition patients from a number of regencies and municipalties in NTB as of October this year, but the HIV/AIDS infections were detected this year.

The NTB Health Office recorded 675 malnutrition cases as of November this year, 32 of which resulted in deaths.

According to NTB Health Office secretary Rohmi Khoiriyati, of the 675 cases, around 262 patients were still recieving treatment, while the the rest had been discharged.

The diagnosis of the two children infected with HIV/AIDS at the NTB General Hospital adds to the growing list of HIV/AIDS cases in NTB from 2001.

Data at the NTB KPA shows 38 new HIV/AIDS cases this year, made up of 21 HIV cases and 17 AIDS cases in Mataram city, West Lombok, Central Lombok, East Lombok and West Sumbawa.

the NTB Aids Eradication Commission (KPA) Program and Registration section head M. Apul said his office had recorded at least 158 HIV cases and 100 AIDS cases, including the 38 new cases, from 2001 until the middle of this year.