HIV Infections in Malaysia Could Surge to 300,000 by 2015, Official Warns

HIV infections in Malaysia could increase more than fourfold by 2015, since the virus is being transmitted from high-risk groups to the general public, Ramlee Rahmat, deputy director-general of public health, said Sunday. Official statistics show that HIV is spreading from drug users to women, fishermen, truck drivers, and factory workers, Ramlee said. Of the 73,000 Malaysians with HIV, three-quarter are intravenous drug users and 7 percent are women.

"Based on the trend that we are seeing, HIV infections can escalate to 300,000 cases by 2015 if we do not do anything," said Ramlee. Last year, the government launched an aggressive five-year national strategic plan to fight HIV. Measures include drug substitution therapy, needle-exchange programs, and providing free antiretrovirals at government clinics, especially for women and children.

"We have put up intervention measures," Ramlee said. "We are taking this very seriously. If we carry out our plans effectively and the public cooperates with us, we will be successful in curbing the spread of the disease."

Last year, UNAIDS said Malaysia was among several Asia-Pacific nations that risked an HIV epidemic among drug users if governments did not take the problem more seriously. At that time, the ministry warned that HIV/AIDS could wipe out the last 50 years of Malaysia's development and devastate the economy.

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