HIV INFECTIONS SHOWING DOWNWARD TREND

RAWANG (Malaysia), July 17 (Bernama) -- The HIV infection trend has shown a
decline due to the measures taken by the government, said state of Selangor
health director Dr Rosnah Hadis.

She said HIV infections have decline from 6,978 cases annually or 28.5 cases
for every 100,000 population in 2002 to 4,549 cases or 16.7 cases for every
100,000 population in 2007.

"In 2008, the infection trend has gone down further to 2,452 cases or 12.8
cases for every 100,000," she said at the World Aids Memorial Day 2009 here
tonight.

She said since 2002 until last year, 84,000 HIV infections were reported
nationwide.

"If this trend continues, it is not impossible for Malaysia to achieve the
United Nations' Millennium Development Goals before 2015 to reduce the HIV
infections to 11 cases for every 100,000 population," she said.

Rosnah said however that the number of women infected with the HIV had
increased from 9.4 per cent in 2000 to 19.1 per cent in 2008.

"Women in this country must be empowered with knowledge on how to prevent
HIV and Aids," she said.

She said that although there were many awareness campaigns organised by the
Health Ministry and Malaysia Aids Council, surveys found that less than 50 per
cent of Malaysian aged 13 and above had adequate knowledge regarding Aids.
-- BERNAMA