Ignorance Expose Sabah Youths To AIDS

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- The ignorance on reproductive health and sex among youths in Sabah not only exposed them to unwanted pregnancy but also sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin.
He said knowledge on reproductive health is highly valuable while HIV and AIDS are killer disease that must be tackled immediately.
"About 19 new cases of HIV or AIDS are detected daily in the country. But the sad thing is that the majority infected by HIV and AIDS are those in the 20 to 39 years age group," he said.
Yahya said this when closing a seminar on HIV and AIDS organised by the Health Committee of the Sabah Women's Advisory Council here, Tuesday.
Almost 200 participants consisting of officers and government employees attended the seminar.
Yahya who is also the state Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister quoted a Bernama report last July that 1,500 people succumb to AIDS daily in Asia.
According to him, statistics on HIV and AIDS in Malaysia pointed to a disturbing trend. Since first detected in the country in December 1986 and up to 2004, a total of 64,439 HIV and AIDS cases were reported.
Yahya also hoped that the (PROSTAR) programme that encourages healthy lifestyle without Aids for youths established by the federal government in each district could be established in Sabah to help counter HIV and AIDS.