Media Vital To Combat HIV/Aids

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- The media's role is vital in fighting HIV/Aids which up to last year infected about 39.5 million people globally, said the Health Ministry's director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican.
In a special address at the Global Media Strategies on HIV and Aids conference here today, Dr Ismail said in this context, the media must be understanding, dedicated and creative.
"The media is an essential partner in fighting HIV and Aids...without the media all our efforts cannot be successful," he said at the event organised in conjunction with the Asia Media Summit 2007 which begins here on Tuesday.
"In fact, the media is such a powerful tool that it has the ability to reverse the HIV/Aids scenario globally."
On the HIV/Aids situation in Malaysia, he said that up to the end of 2006 there were 76,389 reported HIV/Aids cases in the country compared to only four cases in 1986.
In 2006, 5,830 new cases were reported or an average of 16 cases per day.
Dr Ismail said the government was supportive in various efforts and programmes to combat the disease, with the Cabinet Committee on Aids being chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.
Among the strategies to tackle HIV/Aids in Malaysia were through training and capacity enhancement, he added.
For instance, a pilot project called "Harm Reduction Programme" for intravenous drug users was introduced to reduce high-risk behaviour among them like sharing contaminated needles and having unprotected sex.