Educating the masses to curb sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS

New Straits Times: "The Health Ministry will give greater importance to curbing the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS.
“We have to halt the sexual spread of HIV/AIDS and this can be done only through education,” said Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Ismail Merican.
Studies have shown that there are some 20 new HIV cases every day.
Dr Ismail said of the 64,439 people infected since 1986 till the end of last year, 75.1 per cent were intravenous drug users and only about 15 per cent were infected through sexual activities (13.6 per cent heterosexual and 1.3 per cent homosexual).
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that some 81,000 Malaysians could be victims of the disease.
Dr Ismail said Malaysia had put in place a surveillance system to monitor the actual HIV/AIDS situation.
“We have also sought the co-operation of non-governmental organisations to reach out to as many people as possible and talk to them about HIV/AIDS and how it can be prevented,” he told reporters after opening a Suhakam forum on “The Right to Health: Achieving the Health MDGs” here today."