KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia recorded a 54% decline in new HIV infections between 2002 and 2024, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic).
The Health Minister, in a written parliamentary reply, said in 2024, a total of 3,185 new HIV cases were reported, showing a slight decrease compared with 3,222 cases in 2023.
“In terms of HIV cases transmitted through homosexual or bisexual contact, 2,037 cases were reported in 2024, representing a 2% increase compared with 1,995 cases in 2023,” he said in reply to a question raised by Zulkifli Ismail (PN-Jasin).
Zulkifli had requested the Health Ministry to provide the latest statistics and a year-on-year comparison of HIV patients within the LGBTQ community, categorised accordingly, as well as data on HIV patients resulting from drug abuse.
Dzulkefly reported a significant decline in new HIV infections associated with the sharing of contaminated needles and syringes among drug users, dropping from 66% (4,038 cases) in 2005 to 2.7% (87 cases) in 2023 and further to 2.4% (77 cases) in 2024.
This reduction follows the implementation of the harm reduction programme in 2005 and 2006.
Previously, health experts called for bolder measures to curb the spread of HIV, especially among youth and students.
The experts recommended enhancing prevention efforts by adopting more targeted, youth-friendly, and stigma-free strategies to effectively reach those most at risk.
Furthermore, they emphasised the need for authorities to move away from generic, moralistic and untargeted prevention messages.
