Malaysia should not be complacent despite a significant drop in the rate of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections in the country.
Federation of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia (FRHAM) chairman, Professor Dr Kamal Kenny Saravanan, emphasised the need for the nation to remain vigilant as many HIV cases may go unreported.
Kamal said this in response to Perak Health Director Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha, who last month highlighted that the infection rate in Malaysia last year was 9.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 28.5 in 2002.
“Many HIV cases may go unreported and unnoticed due to the sensitive nature of the matter,” said Kamal.
“Individuals who are infected or in the high-risk group often avoid seeking medical treatment out of fear of being discriminated against at healthcare facilities.”
Kamal said FRHAM will continue to advocate for programmes aimed at addressing these challenges and ensuring better access to care.
Speaking during FRHAM and IMU University’s World AIDS Day programme earlier this week, Kamal said the world, including Malaysia, has come a long way since the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
“Every year, this is a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come since the early days of the AIDS epidemic,” he said.
“Those of you who have lived through it will remember the fear and stigma, as well as how hard it was for people living with HIV to be seen, heard, and treated with basic compassion, and you recall how little we knew about AIDS prevention and treatment.”
Kamal said prevention, treatment, and care are now saving millions of lives, not only in first-world countries but also in Malaysia.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), HIV remains a major global public health issue, having claimed an estimated 42.3 million lives to date. Transmission is ongoing in all countries globally.
In July, the world health body reported that an estimated 39.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2023, 65 per cent of whom are in the WHO African Region. In 2023, an estimated 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes, and an estimated 1.3 million people had acquired HIV.
