Needle plan by next year

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The government-funded Needle Syringe Exchange Programme (NSEP) will be introduced in all states by next year to check the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Under the NGO-driven programme, Drop In Centres will be set up in different states to provide needle exchange, face-to-face counselling and medical treatment.
There are centres now in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Baru and they give out information and help educate intravenous drug users (IDU) on ways to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV/AIDS infections.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said a study showed that five to six drug users in Malaysia shared needles daily.
“They inject themselves three to five times a day. So we have to give them clean needles under the NSEP programme.
“Condoms are also provided so that HIV/AIDS is not sexually transmitted,” he added.
He said HIV/AIDS cases in the country might reach 300,000 by 2015 if more aggressive measures were not taken to check the spread.
Dr Chua hoped that with the eradication plan in place, the cases would be capped at 100,000.
As for those against the idea of providing needles and condoms, he said: “There was initially some objection, but following the strong commitment (given) by our Prime Minister and his deputy, we find that there is a general acceptance.”
Dr Chua said the Government and NGOs had gradually raised the level of awareness where the focus was on curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“We are also trying to eliminate the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS (patients) and drug users.
“We have in our country people who think drug addicts should be consigned to an island and starved to death, or left to look after themselves. I believe most Malaysians don’t subscribe to that,” he said.
The NSEP target is to reach 1,200 to 2,100 IDUs by the beginning of next year.
As at August this year, 1,233 IDUs were recruited and given needles, and more 34,000 NSEP kits were given out. Each kit contains four needles, four syringes and eight cotton swabs.
Dr Chua said the return rate of used syringes was 58%.