HIV Rates Have Dropped Massively
SEREMBAN: From 16,000 plus HIV positive cases in 2010 to 5,700 cases in 2016 last year, 90% Malaysians that are HIV positive are aware that have contracted the virus. Malaysia data shows that the mother-to-child transmission for HIV ratio is very low.
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) regional support team for Asia and the Pacific region director Eamonn Murphy says Malaysia has made critical advances in the battle against the pestilence.
“This is a major reduction, which is almost three times that of the regional average,” said Murphy. Another noteworthy number is just 66% of the general population living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific knew about their status. Murphy said Malaysia was “ahead of the curve”.
Another well-known reason for the transmission of the HIV infections, according to information demonstrated that 16.3 percent of new cases were because of the sharing of debased needles and syringes among drug addicts, he said.
“I am counting on Malaysia, which is one of 10 countries in the region, accounting for more than 95 per cent of new infections, to play a key role in relegating AIDS to the history books”, concluded Murphy.
