HIV/AIDS: Odd-job workers top list

NST: Ask anyone on the street which occupational group has the largest number of HIV/AIDS sufferers and, invariably, the answer will be sex workers. That is the wrong answer.
According to Health Ministry statistics only 455 sex workers are HIV/AIDS sufferers. Topping the list are odd-job workers with 25,726 sufferers followed by 13,973 sufferers, who are unemployed.
The other sufferers according to occupational category are: factory and industrial workers (3,843), fishermen (3,066), private sector staff (2,394), housewives (1,932), uniformed bodies (669), government staff (502) and students (154).
There are also 22,912 HIV/AIDS sufferers whose occupations are unknown.
Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) president Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said the Government’s campaigns to create awareness among Malaysians of HIV/AIDS is paying off, with people, including women, coming forward to be screened for the affliction.
"Many are not coming out due to shame and fear of being stigmatised. They also fear discrimination against them and their family," she told the New Straits Times.
Dr Adeeba, who heads the Infectious Diseases Unit at University of Malaya Medical Centre, said it was important for every Malaysian to know about HIV/AIDS and how it was transmitted.
"Everyone is a potential victim, not just the drug addict or sex worker," she said, adding that the Government was fighting hard to reduce transmission through its campaigns.
She said until infection among drug users was controlled, it would be a tough battle. A total of 50,303 HIV and 5,956 AIDS sufferers were intravenous drug users as at June last year.
The ministry’s statistics show 25 blood transfusion recipients are suffering from HIV and another 17 have AIDS. Three organ donation recipients have been infected with HIV while three others have AIDS.
The breakdown of those with HIV and AIDS: homosexuals and bisexuals (930 HIV and 232 AIDS) heterosexuals (9,417 HIV and 2,751 AIDS), and mother to child transmission (500 HIV and 124 AIDS).
There is no clear information on how 6,260 HIV and 961 AIDS sufferers became afflicted.
The racial breakdown of sufferers from 1986 to June last year: Malays (48,976 with HIV and 6,007 with AIDS), Chinese (9,893 HIV and 2,751 AIDS), Indians (5,522 HIV and 735 AIDS), Bumiputera Sarawak (185 HIV and 77 AIDS), Bumiputera Sabah (233 HIV and 79 AIDS), Orang Asli (39 HIV), others in Peninsular Malaysia (392 HIV and 115 AIDS) and foreigners (2,040 HIV and 271 AIDS).