HIV in Malaysia

In the two decades since the first HIV/AIDS case was reported in Malaysia, the number of new cases has risen exponentially. By the end of 2004, roughly 64,000 Malaysians were reported as infected with HIV, of whom some 9,400 had developed AIDS. The majority of reported AIDS cases and HIV infections contracted were through injecting drug use. In 2003 some three-quarters of the total reported cases of HIV/AIDS comprised Injecting Drug Users. Another 12 per cent were categorized under heterosexual activity and just 1 per cent under homosexual or bisexual behaviour. With a 5.3 per cent increase in the proportion of antenatal women screened in 2002 compared to 2001, the number of HIV-infected women detected almost doubled from 79 to 141 cases among those screened under the Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT). The almost 80 per cent increase in 2002 from the previous year is cause for concern.

Transmission through sexual intercourse accounted for 25% of the AIDS cases and 11.7% of HIV infections in 2003. The bulk of infected cases are males who accounted for more than 90 per cent of those living with HIV and AIDS in 2003. Most infections were among Injecting Drug Users of whom only a small fraction is female. However, the proportion of women with HIV has increased over time, rising from 1.4 per cent in 1990 to 3.4 per cent in 1995, and reaching almost 7 per cent of cumulative cases in 2003. The number of women living with AIDS increased from zero in 1990 to 700 in 2003. Unlike the case for men, the main risk for Malaysian women is through unprotected sex, either from a regular sex partner, or from multiple partners. By the end of 2001, there were an estimated 5,500 Malaysian children under age 15 orphaned by HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS and WHO global surveillance of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections estimated that the figure could be as high as 14,000 children who have lost their mother or father or both parents to AIDS.

The geographic distribution of cumulative HIV/AIDS cases in Malaysia show that the majority, by far, were reported in Johor, followed by Selangor. The statistics on HIV/AIDS by state reflect the place where the infection has been diagnosed and not the place of birth of the person or usual residence. In most cases, it is likely that the state of diagnosis corresponds to the state of usual residence. A possible reason for the larger number of reported cases in Johor and Selangor is the high detection rate from their relatively large prisons and drug rehabilitation centres, as compared with other states in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the relatively greater number of persons coming to hospitals in these two states for treatment. The highest number of AIDS cases and AIDS deaths was reported in Kuala Lumpur. This can be attributed to the availability of medical treatment, referral, and support facilities in this large urban centre.

Report from: YouAndAids