HIV/AIDS Spreading Rapidly in Malaysia
Pastor Dale Morgan
HIV/AIDS Spreading Rapidly in Malaysia*
Feb 12, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - The number of HIV/AIDS infections in
Malaysia could surge by more than fourfold to 300,000 by 2015 as the
virus spreads rapidly from high-risk groups to the general public, a
senior health official warned Sunday.
Other than drug addicts, official statistics indicate the HIV virus that
causes AIDS is spreading quickly to women, fishermen, lorry drivers and
factory workers, said Ramlee Rahmat, deputy director-general of public
health.
Some 73,000 Malaysians have been infected with HIV, of which 75 percent
are intravenous drug users and 7 percent are women, he said.
"Based on the trend that we are seeing, HIV infections can escalate to
300,000 cases by 2015 if we do not do anything," Ramlee said.
The government has taken aggressive steps to fight HIV transmission
under a five-year national strategic plan launched in 2006, he said.
This include drug substitution therapy and needle exchange programs for
drug addicts, and providing free antiretroviral drugs at government
clinics especially for women and children.
"We have put up intervention measures. We are taking this very
seriously. If we carry out our plans effectively and the public
cooperates with us, we will be successful in curbing the spread of the
disease," he added.
UNAIDS has last year said Malaysia was among several Asia-Pacific
countries that risked an HIV epidemic among drug users unless the
government took the problem more seriously.
Three people die from AIDS-related illness every day in Malaysia, the
Health Ministry has said. It warned last year that the spread of AIDS
could wipe out Malaysia's development made over the last 50 years and
devastate the economy.