HIV CASES IN MALAYSIA ON THE RISE, SAYS UN COORDINATOR

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is suffering a setback in achieving the United Nations (UN) Millenium Development Goal (MDG) to eradicate the HIV/AIDS virus, despite being on the right track with its other MDGs.

UN resident coordinator (Malaysia) Kamal Malhotra said the number of
HIV-infected people was on the rise, instead of decreasing, after launching the
two-day Red Carnival organised by the PT Foundation at a shopping complex here
Saturday.

He said that as of June, this year, the number of HIV-infected people
reported since 1986, had reached 82,704.

Malhotra said the country faced a concentrated epidemic with one to five
per
cent of certain categories having contracted the virus, adding that in line with
UN guidelines, it needed to focus its resources on five high-risk
categories.

They were drug users, sex workers, transsexuals, male homosexuals and
migrant workers, he told a press conference.

According to the United Nations Development Programme Malaysia website, the
year 2000 saw five per cent of the total population as having been infected with
HIV/AIDS.

In 2006, the number had increased to eight per cent of the total
population.

Malhotra believed that one of the best methods to prevent this continuous
spread was better education and understanding of the virus itself, which was why
he fully supported the Red Carnival.

The Red Carnival, sponsored by CIMB and UN Malaysia and supported by the
Health Ministry and Malaysian Aids Council, is aimed at galvanising the
Malaysian youth to create awareness of the disease and reduce the stigma and
discrimination against HIV-positives.
-- BERNAMA