KUALA LUMPUR: More than 2,700 patients have been given the PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) drug which serves to reduce the risk of HIV infections under the Health Ministry’s pilot programme, says the Health Minister.
Dr Zaliha Mustafa said as of Sept 30, a total of 2,714 patients had been given the drug.
“We found that there was a decline in syphilis infection rate from 11% to less than 1%, an indirect impact (of the use of the drug). The percentage of clients who did not use condoms fell from 6.3% to 3.9%,” she said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“The percentage of clients who had multiple sexual partners fell from 44.5% to 36.1%. There were 14 clients who stopped using PrEP because they no longer engaged in high-risk sexual activities.”
She said there were only three HIV positive cases or 0.11% among the participants of the programme due to non-compliance of the requirements of the drug.
“This rate is far less than other countries which implemented PrEP earlier. These countries had a HIV positive rate of (3-4%),” she said.
Dr Zaliha said the PrEP programme had been expanded to 21 health clinics from 18.
It will be expanded to 30 more health clinics next year.
She was responding to a question by Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) on the status of the pilot programme and whether it would be expanded to other facilities.
In a supplementary question, Ahmad Yunus asked, among others, for the government’s stance on the use of the medicine which has become a polemic among Muslim doctors, especially those involved in the programme.
“The fatwa council of Selangor and Kedah was of the view that PrEP should be banned unless when used on married couples with a HIV positive partner,” he said.
He said the national fatwa council had also yet to make a stance on the matter.
He also asked what was the status of users choosing abstinence from high-risk sexual activities, which he said would be the right move for Muslim users.
Dr Zaliha said the drug cost about RM521,000 and it was sponsored by the Malaysian AIDS Council for the pilot programme.
She said there was a high number of HIV patients who needed treatment.
“As for the government’s stance, we implement the ‘no wrong and have for all’ policy. We will treat anyone with a risk of HIV if they come voluntarily to any of our facilities.
“We have seen the efficacy of the programme during the initial stages. For example, we have seen patients from Kelantan who want to be treated but there are no facilities (offering PrEP) there.
“As such, they have to come to Kuala Lumpur for treatment. This means there is demand and that is why we plan to expand it,” she added.
On abstinence, Dr Zaliha said the number of clients with multiple sexual partners had also declined among PrEP users in the programme.
“We not only give them medicines but we also provide counselling on how to lead a non-risky lifestyle. Eventually we want abstinence,” she said.
She added participants came to healthcare facilities on a voluntary basis.
She also said religious leaders played a role to help these patients.
The one-year PrEPGov2023 programme is conducted in 18 health clinics under MOH since January this year.
Dr Zaliha said data from the study would be analysed in early 2024 to determine the direct and indirect impacts of the drug for HIV and high risk behaviour prevention.
In January, the Selangor Mufti Department said in an advisory in a response to a query that administering the drug to homosexuals was “prohibited” because it was akin to colluding in sinful activities.
