Media Role In HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign Extended To Prisons

SUNGAI PETANI, May 22 (Bernama) -- The Information Ministry intends to extend the media's role in the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign to prisons in the country, Deputy Minister Chia Kwang Chye said Monday.
He said the programme introduced last year in collaboration with RTM and Bernama would now be expanded to rope in all the print and electronic media in the country.
Speaking to reporters after launching the HIV/AIDS programme for juveniles at the Sungai Petani Prison, he hoped the media would play its best possible role to ensure success of the programme.
Earlier, when launching the programme, he said the awareness campaign must be carried out in all prisons in the country to instil awareness on juvenile delinquents and convicts on the dangers of drug addiction.
"If no immediate preventive measures are taken, there will be an estimated 300,000 HIV cases in the country by 2015," he said.
As of December 2004, 64,439 HIV cases were reported, with 7,195 deaths in the same year, he added.
Earlier, in his speech, Prisons Department Director of Rehabilitation Hassan Sakimon said they have implemented the human development plan programme at all prisons in the country.
One of the modules under the programme is to rehabilitate juveniles by stressing on physical, clinical and psychological aspects, he added.