More AIDS cases in heterosexual relationships

NST: PETALING JAYA: The transmission of HIV/AIDS is no longer largely confined to homosexual relations.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said heterosexual transmission had increased from 4.9 per cent of all cases in 1990 to 22.2 per cent last year.
During the same period, female cases increased from 1.2 per cent to 12 per cent of the total reported cases.
Mother-to-child transmission, among others, was on the increase.
He said a total of 70,559 HIV infections, including 10,663 AIDS cases, was reported in the country last year.
"Mother-to-child transmission increased from 0.2 per cent in 1991 when the first three cases were reported, to 1.2 per cent last year," he said after opening the Asia-Pacific joint forum at Sheraton Subang.
The forum is aimed at addressing, among others, the integration of sexual reproduction health, maternal and child health, sexually-transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevention and comprehensive approach to preventing mother-to-child transmission.
It is being organised by the World Health Organisation, Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund), UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities) and Unaids (Joint United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS).
In Malaysia, through the National Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Programme started in 1998, pregnant women receive voluntary, confidential HIV screening and counselling at ante-natal clinics.
Of about 350,000 pregnant women screened in 2005, 107 were HIV-positive.
Dr Chua said of 840 babies born to HIV-positive mothers up to the end of last year, 32 were HIV-positive.
All HIV-positive women and newborn were offered free anti-retroviral therapy.
Dr Chua said Malaysia had shown its commitment to the "3 by 5" initiative set by the WHO to ensure that three million sufferers of HIV/AIDS in the world had access to anti-retroviral treatment by last year.
In Malaysia, he added, an estimated 3,800 patients were on HAART (highly active anti-retroviral therapy) as of the end of last year.
"Our aim is to put 5,000 patients on HAART by end of this year. A locally-produced 3-in-1 anti-retroviral drug has been available since May and will be given free to AIDS patients requiring HAART," he said.
The government will spend about RM300 million in the next five years on AIDS prevention.
On the harm reduction strategies, Dr Chua said: "We have seen early successes in the methadone replacement therapy, and needle-syringe exchange and condom programmes."