Materia Medica Malaysiana

Free Syringes And Condoms Because AIDS At Emergency Level, Says PM

DOHA, June 16 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the pilot programme to give free syringes and condoms to drug addicts as a means to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country will be implemented because the situation has reached an emergency level.
"This is not a waste but if there are better suggestions the government is prepared to consider them," the prime minister told Malaysian journalists after attending the Second South Summit of G77 and China which ended, here Thursday.
Abdullah said information sessions on the programme would be held as soon a possible for those who opposed the move.
He said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek would be present at the meetings with the opposing groups, which would be coordinated by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamed Zin, to explain the move in detail.
He said the move to provide free syringes and condoms had to be carried out because Chua had confirmed at the Cabinet meeting recently that the HIV/AIDS situation had reached an emergency level as the affected group was still actively involved in drug addiction and sex.
Abdullah said that if these people were not given syringe and condom aid they might spread the disease to their wives or partners.
"This is dangerous because it will spread," he said.
He said that according to the Health Ministry's analysis, giving free syringes and condoms would not be a waste of government funds but would instead by a saving.
He said that if the situation had reached a level where it posed a danger to the people because the disease could be spread easily, the government felt compelled to adopt this approach to solve the problem.
"If (we) don't want the infection to escalate, if (we) want to curb the spread, we must take appropriate measures," he said.
He said that from the religious point of view, if an emergency had occurred or would occur, the proposed move could be taken as a prevention. Chua had earlier announced that the pilot programme would be implemented at 10 government and private clinics in October and would involve 1,200 drug addicts.