KUALA LUMPUR, July 1- Malaysia has been able to turn the tide on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, having successfully halved the number of newly reported cases presently compared to a decade ago.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said various proactive measures taken by the government and stakeholders had contributed to the significant decrease, where at the end of 2012, Malaysia reported a cumulative figure of 98,279 HIV cases while the number of reported people living with HIV was approximately 82,000.
“This country has been experiencing a consistent downward trend in the annual rate of new HIV cases, from its highest rate of 28.5 per 100,000 population in 2002 to 11.7 per 100,000 population in 2012,” he said at the opening session of the 7th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, here, yesterday.
The conference was jointly opened by IAS president Prof Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and its local co-chair, who is Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) director Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.
Dr Subramaniam said Malaysia was committed to continue reducing the number of cases to 11 persons per 100,000 population by 2015.
“Although we have another two and half years to go, nevertheless, we are proud to say that this target may be achieved within this year. Of course we aim to see an even more significant decline in the number of HIV cases in the near future.”
He said the government also aimed to increase the coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV patients to more than 80 per cent in 2015.
ART was identified as one of the major contributors to cutting down AIDS- related deaths over the last decade. It was introduced in 2001 and has enabled the government to provide free ART to Malaysians living with HIV. In 2012, the government spent a total of RM59 million on the programme.
ART coverage currently stands at 46 per cent.
Dr Subramaniam said Malaysia had also successfully intervened and reduced vertical transmission from mother to baby.
“The rate of vertical transmission was two per cent in 2012 and we are on track to achieving the elimination of HIV vertical transmission in the very near future,” he added.
Dr Subramaniam said moving ahead, Malaysia would focus its intervention approach on infection from predominantly intravenous drug use to sexually-acquired infection.
“There is rising infection amongst women and men who have sex with men,” he said.
He said the ministry was currently reviewing the National Strategic Plan on AIDS together with other stakeholders.
“We have included intervention for sexual transmission as one of the major activities in continuing our response to the HIV epidemic in Malaysia.”
He said the government would continue to embark on education and awareness to bring about behavioural change among the population on HIV/AIDS transmission.
Some 4,700 delegates comprising scientists as well as stakeholders from 150 countries are attending the four-day conference to discuss the latest treatments and updates on the epidemic.
This is also the first time the biennial conference is held in Asia.
– BERNAMA
