Carbon dioxide can control Aedes

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Fogging of mosquito breeding grounds can be a hit and miss affair because the mosquitoes may have already moved to another place.
Thus fogging must be done at the right place and time if Aedes, the primary vector for dengue and chikungunya, is to be eliminated, said University Malaya Medical Centre Vector Control Centre specialist Dr Wan Yusoff Wan Sulaiman.
"We assume where the Aedes breeding grounds are when we carry out fogging but the mosquitoes may have already moved to other places. The pesticide is only effective within a radius of 200 metres."
Dr Wan Yusoff said more effective measures, such as the systematic and continuous use of light traps, which release carbon dioxide, in Aedes breeding grounds should be employed to control the Aedes population.
"The impact of vector control on dengue fever in developed countries has been proven effective in controlling the transmission of the virus."
He said checks should be carried out at potential mosquito breeding grounds such as public toilets, construction sites, abandoned projects, parks and recreational areas, and clogged drains.
"Aedes eggs stick fast to the place where they are laid, such as pails and flower pots, and can withstand long dry spells. When their 'homes' become wet again, the eggs hatch. Thus we must scrub pails and flower pots throughly."
Their "stickiness" and ability to withstand long dry spells explained how Aedes aegypti eggs from Africa could survive a journey to Asia and Aedes albopictus eggs from Asia could make its way to the United States.

Combat dengue on more fronts

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Mobile fever clinics should be set up in dengue outbreak areas to arrest the spread of the disease, said the head of medical microbiology at University Ma-laya Medical Centre Prof Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar.
He said infected humans were the main carriers and multipliers of the virus which caused dengue fever.
"The virus circulates in the blood of infected humans for two to seven days, about the same time that they have a fever, and female Aedes mosquitoes may acquire the virus when they feed on an individual during this period. and transmit it to the next human they feed on."
Some studies have shown that monkeys in some parts of the world play a similar role in transmission.
"Early detection and temporary quarantine of the infected person will help reduce transmission of the disease to immediate family members and neighbours, besides fogging," he told the New Straits Times when commenting on the call by Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai to form additional special task force teams at the district level nationwide to intensify the war against dengue.
The task force teams were to embark on a mosquito breeding spot search-and-destroy mission.
The number of dengue cases spiralled to 4,221 with 12 deaths in the first 23 days of this month compared with 2,103 cases, including five deaths, during the corresponding period last year.
Selangor had the highest number with 1,727 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (307 cases) and Penang (227).
The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades.
Some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue. The World Health Organisation estimates 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year.
Dr Sazaly said while the Health Ministry embarked on methods to destroy Aedes mosquitoes, it should also work aggressively on the early detection of people with dengue fever.
It should use techniques that could identify dengue antigens within a day -- Dengue NS1 and PCR molecular detection -- which were available at Institute for Medical Research, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, UMMC, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor, Penang general hospital and major private hospitals.
"Malaysia is at the peak of the dengue outbreak. The number of cases should go down by March but will rise if Malaysians do not take any initiative to help the government fight dengue."
He called on those returning from the Chinese New Year holidays to ensure that they cleaned out all containers containing water, such as earthenware jars, metal drums and concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage.

‘Full assault’ on dengue next week

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Government, which has declared war against dengue, will be launching an all-out campaign against the pesky Aedes mosquito early next week in an effort to bring down the number of cases.
So far, 12 people have died and the number of cases from Jan 1 to Jan 23 this year had nearly doubled to 4,221 compared with 2,153 for the same period last year.
“We have to take drastic action and we will be doing this campaign on a big scale,” Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said.
“The people’s involvement in this campaign is important to ensure dengue can be eradicated quickly.
“It is very dangerous and should not be taken lightly as it can be fatal,” he said when met at the MCA Chinese New Year open house celebrations at Wisma MCA here Monday.
Liow urged the public to take extra precautions. “Although we are in the festive season, we still need to be alert as the dengue problem is widespread.
“If you think you have dengue but you are not sure, just go and see the doctor immediately,” he said.
Liow said he had instructed district health departments to set up special taskforces and intensify their fogging activities in all areas.
He said Malaysians should do their part by making sure their homes were mosquito-free, checking for water stagnation and cleaning up regularly.

Weekly news conference on dengue

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will hold weekly press conferences on the "alarming" dengue situation to impress the urgency of the situation on the public.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican will release the latest figures on the number of victims besides informing people about measures taken to fight dengue.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said 4,221 cases and 12 deaths had been recorded between Jan 1 and Jan 23, which was double that for the same period last year.
"The situation is the worst in Selangor, with 2,223 cases and five deaths, and Federal Territory (409 cases and two deaths)."
He said besides the weather, the lack of hygiene and proper upkeep of home surroundings was to blame for the jump in dengue cases.
He said cases of chikungunya, another Aedes-borne ailment, was also on the rise with 458 cases reported until Jan 23.
Liow, who spoke after giving ang pow to 268 Valley of Hope residents at the national Leprosy Control Centre here yesterday, said food containing peanut butter imported from United States would be screened for salmonella contamination at all ports of entry following reports of contamination in the US.

Selangor tops list as dengue cases continue to rise

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue cases in the country has continued to climb with 12 deaths from the 4,221 cases recorded since Jan 1.
“I hope everyone will cooperate with us to get the situation under control,” Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai told reporters after handing out ang pow to more than 100 Valley of Hope residents here yesterday.
Selangor remains the state with the highest number of cases at 2,223 with five deaths, compared to 751 cases and one death in the same period last year.
There were 409 cases with two deaths in Kuala Lumpur compared to 270 cases and no casualties in the same period last year.
There were 245 cases reported in Penang and 128 cases in Kedah, compared to 100 and 65 cases in the respective states during the same period last year.
Liow said chikungunya cases had also spiked, totalling 458 as of Friday with Selangor topping the list with 109 cases.
Perak had 96 cases and Kelantan 85.
On Monday, Liow declared war on dengue and called on everyone, including local councils and the public, to work together.
When asked what he thought was the cause for the sudden spike in the number of cases, he replied: “It could partly be due to the weather, but it’s also due to the lack of hygiene and sanitary measures.”

Peanut butter put on health alert

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has placed all peanut butter from the United States on Level 5 alert following several salmonella-linked deaths there, said Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.
Under Level 5, stringent tests would be carried out first to determine if the product are safe for consumption.
US authorities on Friday said seven people had died from a nationwide outbreak of salmonella associated with tainted peanut butter and paste sourced to the Peanut Corporation of America’s (PCA) plant in Blakely, Georgia.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the bacterial strain as Salmonella Typhimurium.
The CDC said there had been 492 cases in 43 states and one Canadian province of people sickened with the strain as of Thursday, US media reports.
Patients ranged in age from one to 98 and 22% of people afflicted with the bacteria have been hospitalised.
Another 10 US firms Friday recalled products which use PCA peanut butter or paste -- bringing to roughly 360 the number of products affected -- as it emerged that the plant at the centre of the probe laid off most of its roughly 50 workers, US papers said.
The recalled products range from snack bars to crackers and pre-packaged meals and even pet food. But products containing peanuts not sourced from the PCA plant are deemed safe.
The Food and Drug Administration, which is investigating, has said it has no evidence to suggest the contamination originated with any other major manufacturing facility other than the PCA plant.

Ministry wants fight against dengue fever short and simple

Star: PETALING JAYA: Getting the people involved. This will be the thrust of a series of nationwide campaigns the Health Ministry will launch next month in the fight against dengue fever.
Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said: “This is a drastic action on the ground to curb the spread of dengue. It will be done from state to state. It is about getting the people involved.”
He said final adjustments were being done but the emphasis was on “keeping it short and simple” in managing the disease.
The ministry declared war against dengue and chikungunya on Monday following an unusual jump in cases.
“The numbers are alarming and we are serious about our war against dengue,” said Liow, who is part of an MCA delegation, led by president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, in Beijing.
The campaign is designed to get the involvement of all parties involved including doctors, the public, public health officers and local councils.
“It will complement our current strategies,” Liow said.
He reiterated that the ministry was concerned about the spike in dengue cases and deaths in the first two weeks of the year.
From Jan 4 to Saturday, there were 3,211 cases with eight deaths compared with 1,514 cases and four deaths in the same period last year.

Homes, shophouses breeding grounds for Aedes

Star: PETALING JAYA: Houses and shophouses registered the highest percentage among premises found to be active breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito.
Deputy director of disease control (vector) Datuk Dr Azmi Hashim said of the premises that checked positive for Aedes breeding, 75% to 80% were houses and shophouses.
“This is a high number and means that many dengue patients were infected in their own homes,” he said in an interview here yesterday.
Dr Azmi was commenting on reports that the Health Ministry had declared war on dengue following an alarming rise in cases and related deaths in the first two weeks of the year.
There have been 3,211 cases with eight deaths, compared to 1,514 cases and four deaths during the same period last year.
Dr Azmi said although state health department officers periodically carried out fogging at neighbourhoods known to be hot-spots for dengue infection, this acted only as a temporary measure.
“Fogging only kills adult mosquitoes. It is more effective for home-owners to destroy all breeding sites around their houses.
“Home owners should clean up their compounds and add larvicide to any water container or pot,” he said, adding that the Health Ministry had published pamphlets advising the public to spend 10 minutes each week checking their homes for Aedes breeding sites.
To report cases of dengue, the public can approach the nearest district health office or call the dengue operations room hotline at 03-8881-0600 or 03-8881-0700.
Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minis-ter Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad said the lack of co-operation from the public was the main reason for the increase in dengue cases.
“If people are not concerned, what else can the Government do?” he said during the launch of the second phase of “I Care Vision 20/20” at the Tun Hussein Onn Hospital yesterday.
Dr Latiff said the Government was giving away the Abate larvicide for people to use on mosquito breeding areas and that volunteer groups had been set up through the Combi (Communication for Behavioural Impact) concept to create awareness on dengue.

Ministry's losing war on dengue

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry yesterday took Klang Valley residents to task for a disappointing response to the "war" against dengue.
Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, said the lack of public cooperation had contributed to the increase in dengue and chikungunya cases.
"The issue here is that city dwellers refuse to get involved in gotong-royong. They think only residents' associations or city councils are responsible for maintaining cleanliness and checking on Aedes breeding sites in their areas."
He said urban residents had a lackadaisical attitude to the problem, thinking that they would not get bitten by the Aedes mosquito.
"They think that others will get the virus but they won't.'
On Monday, the ministry revealed that Kuala Lumpur and Selangor had the highest number of dengue cases over the first 17 days of the year.
Selangor recorded 1,727 cases with four deaths while Kuala Lumpur had 307 cases with one death.
The numbers were far higher compared to the same period last year.
Dr Abdul Latiff said although the awareness campaign on dengue and chikungunya seemed to succeed in other states, the response in the Klang Valley proved otherwise.
"We are going all out to fight the viruses but if the people are not worried about their health, then we don't know what else to do."
Dr Abdul Latiff said the ministry would fine occupants with Aedes breeding grounds.
"We are not planning to increase the fine but we need to emphasise the Communication for Behavioural Impact (Combi) programme to obtain public cooperation," he said, adding that there were 11,892 Combi volunteers nationwide.
A total of RM3.4 million in fines was collected last year from those found to have Aedes breeding grounds in their homes.
Dr Abdul Latiff was speaking to reporters after launching the "I Care Vision 20/20" project at the Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital.
The project, in its second phase, aims to train kindergarten teachers to identify eye problems among children aged between 2 and 6.

Pharmacists ready to take over dispensing of medicine

NST: SUBANG JAYA: The Malay-sian Pharmaceutical Society has proposed a "zoning" system to enable pharmacists to take over the dispensing of medicine from doctors.
MPS president Datuk Nancy Ho said the age-old argument of insufficient number of pharmacies in Malaysia was no longer true.
The society conducted a "geo-mapping" study to identify the locations of pharmacies in relation to clinics and found that in major areas like Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Baru, Kota Kinabalu, Kota Baru and Kuching, the ratio was enough to serve doctors.
Ho said pharmacists could set up 24-hour outlets to cater to the needs of clinics.
MPS wanted the zoning proposal to be implemented in selected towns and to let consumers decide where they wanted to get their prescribed medications.
Some 100 doctors and pharmacists will gather at a symposium, "Future Challenges for Healthcare in Malaysia" here tomorrow and one of the issues to be raised is separation of the role of doctors and pharmacists in providing healthcare.
"It is crucial that consumers are educated on the proper use of medicines."

Dengue cases going unreported

NST: PUTRAJAYA: Doctors in clinics are reluctant to notify the government of dengue cases, judging from the fact that only two per cent of reports of cases come from private clinics.
Health Department director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said such an attitude could lead to patients dying because doctors at clinics did not want to take responsibility but passed the buck to hospitals.
"This reflects the reluctance to take charge, and passing the responsibility to hospitals is probably to get them to provide the serological confirmation."
The phenomenon baffles Dr Ismail when the number of cases was increasing every year, with 112 deaths reported last year.
The national dengue mortality review revealed that 47.4 per cent of the patients who died were sent to hospitals at a very late stage of their illness, while a quarter of dengue deaths occurred within 24 hours of hospitalisation.
"There are no repercussions for the doctors if they notify the cases. I just don't know why they don't do it.
"In fact, there is only a positive effect. The ministry will immediately carry out fogging exercise in the victim's area," Dr Ismail said after launching the second revision of the Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Management of Dengue Infection in Adults, here, yesterday.
The guidelines focus on management of the dengue infection from the early stages to intensive care.
The guidelines, which will be distributed to health practitioners dealing with dengue, outlines basic symptoms of the infection without having to rely solely on platelet counts.
Dr Ismail urged the public not to leave the prevention and control measures to the government since 80 per cent of dengue cases occurred at homes.
"It only takes 10 minutes a week to ensure that there is no stagnant water and to overturn containers which may be potential Aedes breeding ground.
"The public cannot depend on the local councils to fog their areas. They must do their part."

Six dengue deaths last week takes toll to 106 this year

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Six people died of dengue last week, raising the death toll to 106 this year, but chikungunya had claimed no life so far, said the Health Ministry’s Disease Control Director Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman yesterday.
He said dengue cases recorded in the week from Dec 14 rose 105 to 1,260 compared with the previous week and 537 higher than the target.
There were six deaths during the week - three in Selangor, two in Perak and one in Kuala Lumpur. The number of deaths last year was 97.
Dr Hassan urged the public to find and destroy Aedes breeding grounds inside and outside their houses and allow fogging in their homes.
In terms of enforcement, 315 compound fines totalling RM58,950 and 352 notices were issued during the period, he said in a statement.
On chikungunya, Dr Hasan said 119 cases were reported nationwide during the same period compared with 158 previously.
The new cases involved 91 localities in Kedah (35 cases), Kelantan and Johor (21 each), Selangor (20), Perak (10), Pahang (four), Negri Sembilan (three), Kuala Lumpur and Perlis (two each) and Putrajaya (one case), he said.
To date, 3,984 chikungunya cases had been reported and no one had died from it, he said.

Don’t retrench workers at the expense of safety, urges Niosh

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) has cautioned employers not to introduce or implement cost-cutting measures at the expense of the safety and health of their employees.
Chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said while Niosh realised that employers would have to take measures to cut costs because of the economic downturn, safety should still be a key issue at the workplace.
“Companies must not cut costs when it comes to maintaining a safe plant and machinery, providing personal protective equipment or even investment in occupational safety and health in general,” he said.
This was because if accidents occurred and lives were lost, productivity would be affected and employers would have to endure greater losses in terms of work stoppage, medical payment, compensation and others, he said in a statement.
Lee also said as workers must be assured of their rights to a safe and healthy work environment, there was a need to provide them with information, education and training so that they would know how best to protect themselves.

Day off after 24-hour duty for trainee doctors

Star: KUALA TERENGGANU: Trainee doctors will now get a day off after carrying out their 24-hour on-call duty.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the directive will take effect immediately.
He said it applies only to housemen on active call and at the hospital the entire time.
“We will not let these trainee doctors be overworked. We will look into their welfare,” he told reporters yesterday after visiting the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital.
Liow was asked to comment on grouses from trainee doctors that they sometimes had to work almost 24 hours and then report to their superiors the next day.
Some trainee doctors complained that they had to work seven days a week without a single rest day during their two-year stint in government hospitals as housemen.
Liow said trainee doctors should also be allowed to concentrate on getting the right exposure and medical proficiency by giving them off-days.
A trainee doctor at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, who only wanted to be known as Sally, said she was relieved to hear that the ministry would look into their welfare.
“Frankly, we are very exhausted as we have to focus on our training and also carry out clinical rounds frequently,” she said. “It is stressful.”
Sally said she and her colleagues were unable to pay attention during their stints due to fatigue and time constraints.
On another matter, Liow said about 4,000 Chikungunya cases were reported throughout the country this year.
He said the virus was first detected in Johor and spread to several states, the latest being Kedah.

Dengue alert, Selangor folk asked to cooperate

Star: SHAH ALAM: Selangor residents have been told to join the state government’s efforts to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds following a warning by the state Health Department of a possible rise in dengue cases over the coming weeks.
State Health, Plantation Workers and Caring Government Committee chairman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar said the warning was issued in view of the current wet weather which has created ideal conditions for mosquitoes to breed.
“We are calling on all residents to take a proactive approach in ensuring the safety of their families and to use 10mins of their time per week to clean up the drains and other possible mosquito breeding grounds in and around their houses,” he told a press conference after attending the weekly state executive council meeting here Wednesday.
He said the state government would also direct all local authorities and district health department offices to start fogging exercises in residential areas.
Dr Jeyakumar also called on residents not to lock their homes and walk away when those conducting fogging in their areas visited their houses.
“We have had complaints in the past of residents walking out of their homes when fogging was done and so the insides of their homes could not be fogged to get rid of mosquitoes.
“We assure residents that the oil-based fogging chemical is only used outdoors and the chemical used inside the homes is water based and safe,” he said.
Dr Jeyakumar said the state government decided to issue an early warning as there had already been 39 dengue-related deaths in Selangor this year, with most coming from the more urban neighbourhoods like Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya and Ampang.

300,000 may have HIV by 2015

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may have 300,000 people affected by HIV by 2015, said Datuk Dr Hassan Abdul Rahman, the Director of the Disease Control Divison of the Health Ministry.
To combat this epidemic, the Government has committed RM500mil to implement the National Strategic Plan on AIDS and the Harm Reduction programme between 2006 and 2010, he said at the launch of a Health Ministry and Unicef Report 2008 entitled Women and Girls Confronting HIV and AIDS in Malaysia yesterday.
The report was released in conjunction with the Special World AIDS Day 2008.
The National Strategic Plan on AIDS involves various government and non-government bodies as well as international agencies such as Unicef.
The daughter of the Sultan of Kedah, Datuk Seri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz, who launched the event, said the trend of new HIV infections occurring among women in the country had risen alarmingly from 1.2% of total new cases in 1990 to 16% in December 2007.
She said reducing the impact of HIV required that the needs and issues of women be addressed at various levels.
She said there was a need to reverse the underlying socio-economic factors that contributed to women’s HIV risks, such as gender inequality, poverty, lack of economic and educational opportunity, and the lack of legal and human rights protection.

Health Ministry to launch massive campaign on organ donation

Star: SEREMBAN: With only one in 20 Malaysians willing to donate their organs, a massive campaign will be launched soon by the Health Ministry to increase awareness on organ donation.
Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the campaign aimed to get more people to sign up as organ donors.
“It is sad because critically-ill patients have to wait for years to get a donor. We want people to know that we can save lives if they are prepared to donate their organs,” he told reporters yesterday after launching the third National Health and Morbidity Survey Scientific Conference: State Findings here.
He said that despite campaigns by the Government to educate the people on the importance of becoming donors, most were reluctant to do so.
To date, 120,838 people have pledged to become donors.
According to the National Transplant Resource Centre, 4,181 patients are on the waiting list for kidney, heart and lung transplants.
Statistics also show that one in three patients on the waiting list dies before a donor is found.
However, Liow said the Government had no plans to compel people to donate their organs, unlike Singapore which passed a law making its citizens automatic organ donors.
Liow said those who wished to become donors could enlist at any government hospital or clinic and was looking for ways to make it easier for them to do so.
He said the Cabinet had recently approved the need for a masterplan to help the increasing number of cancer patients and educate the people on the disease.
Liow said the National Cancer Management Blueprint would chart the ministry’s plan to deal with cancer patients till 2015 where ministry officers would educate people about cancer as most patients came for treatment when they were already in the advanced stages.
Liow also said that his ministry’s plans to get more females over 20 to go for mammograms and pap smears was also working as the percentage of women who went for mammograms increased from 3.7% in 1996 to 7.9% in 2006.
About 45.7% of women had gone for pap smear tests compared with 26% in 1996.

Malaysia's 62 neurosurgeons do double duty

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's 62 neurosurgeons are "working themselves to death" to save lives.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said this was because they were doing the work of double the number of neurosurgeons needed by the country.
He added the country needed 150 neurosurgeons, or at least one to 200,000 people.
Currently, slightly more than half of the 62 neurosurgeons are in the private sector while the rest are in public service, including at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Speaking at the 13th Asean Congress of Neurological surgeons and 8th Asean Neurosurgical nursing congress, Dr Latiff said the number of neurosurgeons was insufficient based on the 26 million population.
"The ministry is willing to offer the best in terms of financial and professional support to enhance human resource development in the neurosurgical field."
Some 500 medical professionals from Asean countries, Spain and the Middle East are participating in the four-day congress themed "Sub-specialisation and Modernisation of Asean Neurosurgery: Achieving Excellence in Patient Care", held in collaboration with the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Education Course.
World Federation of Neurosurgical Society president Professor Dr Jacques Brotchi said the number of young neurosurgeons had increased in all Asean countries due to more established local training, improved quality and supply of advanced equipment, which had contributed to the development of neurosurgery.
"The congress is definitely a place for all participants to interact and learn new things in the field of neurosurgery."
Also present at the event was Asean Neurosurgical Societies president Datuk Dr T. Selvapragasam.

WHO wants more done to stop spread of AIDS

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: The World Health Organisation has called on countries in the region to focus on delivering their five-year promise to stop the spread of AIDS.
With only two years left for the goal set by the World AIDS Campaign to be achieved, the United Nations body feels governments must implement comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support programmes.
WHO regional director for the Western Pacific Region Dr Shigeru Omi said a progress report published in June indicated that while such programmes had expanded, more remained to be done.
Last year, only 28 per cent of those in low- to middle-income countries in the Western Pacific Region who needed antiretroviral (ARV) treatment received it.
ARV medications are designed to inhibit the reproduction of HIV in the body. If this treatment is effective, the deterioration of the immune system and the onset of AIDS can be delayed for years.
World AIDS Day, observed on Dec 1, had "Leadership" as the theme for last year and this year.
In the Western Pacific Region, about 1.3 million people, including 21,000 children, were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS last year, with around 150,000 new HIV infections and 63,000 AIDS-related deaths.
In Malaysia, as of June, about 82,704 HIV-infected individuals had been reported. Of this, some 14,100 were AIDS cases.
Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) president Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said Malaysia had been proactive since the first reported cases in 1986.
However, a MAC survey revealed that ignorance, stigma and prejudice were still rife.
In the last four years, she said, the number of HIV infection cases had declined due to aggressive awareness campaigns and prevention measures.
But she said efforts to control the epidemic should be enhanced because the data collected may not reflect a true picture of the epidemic.

Tea tree oil may rid hospital of fungus

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: After spending RM14 million on unsuccessfully trying to rid Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor of fungus, the government may find an answer in tea tree oil, and it will not cost an arm and a leg.
A company marketing the oil has offered samples to the hospital which has been plagued by the problem for years.
The government recently engaged Sistem Hospital Awasan Taraf Sdn Bhd (Sihat) to check the hospital which is infested with aspergillus and penicillium fungi.
Fueltreat Malaysia Sdn Bhd director James Fredericks said the hospital could use the samples on a small area to ascertain its success.
He said it would cost the hospital only "several hundred thousand ringgit" to solve the problem.
He said hospitals in Australia used tea tree oil, spray and cream as they were recognised as an effective anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antiseptic agent.
They are said to damage the cell walls and membranes of bacteria and fungi.
"Pathogens that have acquired immunity to antibiotics -- especially Golden Staph -- appear unable to survive exposure to tea tree oil," he told New Straits Times.
Tea tree oil is said to have an agent that eliminates moulds, fungi and mustiness, besides killing bacteria in the air.
Fredericks said hospitals used tea tree oil because many pathogenic micro-organisms had developed an immunity to antibiotics and sullphonamide drugs, giving rise to deadly strains of "superbugs".
He said tests in Australia also showed that Safe-T-air, a tea tree product used in air-conditioning systems, inhibited the spread of organisms that spread flu-like symptoms, wound infections, conjunctivitis, lung infections and food poisoning.
A hospital spokesman said he did not mind testing the product as the authorities wanted to solve the problem.
Fueltreat Malaysia Sdn Bhd are scheduled to meet hospital authorities this week to explain how the product works.
The spokesman said the problem was serious with measures taken to protect the health of staff and patients.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai was reported to have said that the infection had been caused by the wet ground under the RM557.8 million hospital.