1,691 with HIV in Sabah

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KOTA KINABALU: A total of 1,982 HIV cases, 734 AIDS cases and 291 deaths due to the disease have been recorded in Sabah between 1991 and September, 2014.

A joint statement released by the State Health Department and City Hall in conjunction with the Sabah Level World AIDS Day celebration held here yesterday mentioned that there were some 1,691 people living with HIV in Sabah.

During the first nine months of this year (January to September), 191 new cases of HIV infection were reported in Sabah. Based on this figure, it is expected that Sabah will have 255 new cases of HIV infection by the end of 2014.

The rate of new HIV infection in Sabah is expected to be 7.32 for every 100,000 people in Sabah.

Hence, the government, particularly the Sabah Health Department, is hoping for the cooperation for all parties to ensure efforts towards prevention is implemented thoroughly.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman urged people who are at risk of getting HIV were yesterday urged to go for a test and treatment which are provided free at all government clinics and hospitals in Sabah.

He said that the government provided various tests and screening for HIV, including pre-marriage test, HIV tests for pregnant mothers and suspected HIV patients at all government clinics and hospitals for free.

“The government is committed to ensure all efforts towards its prevention are implemented at all levels of the community,” he said in his speech for the launch of the Sabah State-level World AIDS Day held at the Kompleks Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan Sabah auditorium near here

Musa, in his speech delivered by Rural Development Minister Datuk Radin Malleh, also mentioned that the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day celebration ‘Getting to Zero’ coincided with the effort to address and eradicate HIV/AIDS.

He stressed that the issue required the participation of all levels of the community and not merely left on the shoulders of governments alone. He added that just as important were the roles played by infected individuals, their families and people at risk in the war against the disease.

Meanwhile, Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said that the Kota Kinabalu City Hall had undertaken a pilot project ‘Kota Kinabalu Towards Zero HIV in 2020’.

Kota Kinabalu is the third city to launch its Zero HIV project, he said. The other two cities in the country to launch the project are Melaka and Kuantan.

He said that the aim of the project was to strengthen the implementation of HIV/AIDS preventive and control activities within Kota Kinabalu.

Also present at the event were Sabah health director Dr Christina Rundi and Sabah Education Department director Datuk Jame Alip.