Over 500 in Sabah have HIV

Daily Express: Kota Kinabalu: Sabah recorded 541 cases of reported HIV infection (397 males and 144 females), 162 cases of full-blown AIDS and 63 deaths between 1991 and October this year.
State Health Department's Principal Assistant Director (HIV & AIDS), Dr Narimah Hanim Ibrahim said Tuesday, the State showed an upward trend from zero HIV infection in 1991, except for 2003 when only 52 cases were reported due to failure of notification, culminating in 105 reported cases last year.
"All the 144 females contracted HIV via the heterosexual mode of transmission. Sabah registered 71 new HIV cases, 35 new AIDS cases and 19 new reported AIDS deaths between January and October this year.
"Last year, only eight AIDS deaths were reported," she said at a seminar on HIV and AIDS jointly organised by the Sabah Women's Advisory Council (MPWS) Health Committee and State Health Department.
In her talk on "A Study on HIV & AIDS in Malaysia and Sabah", Dr Narimah said of the Sabah cumulative figure (541), non-Muslim Bumiputeras topped the list of HIV cases at 243, followed by foreigners (142), Chinese (110), Malays (37), Indians (6) and Sarawakians (3).
"This is in sharp contrast to the national scenario of reported HIV infections by ethnicity where Malays formed the bulk at 47,418, followed by Chinese (9,699) and Indians (5,422).
"Likewise, based on HIV cases by risk categories in Sabah, the main mode of transmission is heterosexual (84 per cent), followed by intravenous drug use (IDU) which is 4.8 percent, vertical (mother-to-child) at 2.8 per cent and homosexuality (2.2 per cent) for the 1991-October 2005 period.
"In comparison, IDU was the main mode of transmission for the rest of the country (75 per cent), followed by heterosexual means (13.8 per cent), homosexuality (1.1 per cent) and vertical transmission (0.7 per cent)," she told some 200 civil servants from State and Federal Government Departments.
In respect of occupations, Dr Narimah said 223 HIV-positive people in Sabah (among the 541 cases) refused to state their occupation, followed by others (169) made up of businessmen, labourers, contractors, farmers and other self-employed persons.
"For the 1991-Oct 2005 period, housewives made up 35 and 23 were unemployed while 22 were factory workers and 21 from the police and army. There were 18 government servants (both male and female), 13 prostitutes, five fishermen, five drivers and three students."
Going by districts, KK (189) topped the HIV cases between 1991 and 2004, followed by Tawau (66), Lahad Datu (35), Sandakan (41), Keningau (27), Papar (20) and Penampang and Kudat (each 19).
The seminar heard that 10 mothers in Sabah tested HIV-positive between 1998 and 2003 under the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme. It was launched in 1998 at all government antenatal clinics.
Asked on the fate of HIV-positive foreigners, Dr Narimah said the Health Department would inform the Foreign Workers' Medical Examination and Monitoring Agency (Fomema) about their status and refer them (foreigners) to the Immigration Department for their deportation.
"However, it is difficult to detect HIV in illegal immigrants."
According to the doctor, voluntary anonymous HIV screening is available at 35 clinics throughout the state including Luyang Clinic. On the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Malaysia, Dr Narimah said cumulative figures (from December 1986 to March 2005) show that there were 65,370 cases of reported HIV infection (including AIDS).
Of the number, 60,773 are males and the rest females. Children aged below 12 years make up a separate figure of 546.
During the same period, there were 9,705 reported AIDS cases and 7,362 reported AIDS deaths.
The prevalence of HIV among antenatal mothers is 0.04 per cent.