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STI, HIV, AIDS register upward trend in state

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The Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), Human Immunodeficient Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are showing an upward trend in Sarawak. This was revealed by Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah in her windingup speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, yesterday.

Fatimah added that STI is one of the main causes of HIV/AIDS dissemination, and it was monitored through three main trend types namely Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, and Hepatitis C.

“In 2015, Sarawak recorded 557 Gonorrhea infection cases, 654 cases in 2016, and 700 cases up to October, 2017. For Hepatitis C infection case, a total of 167 cases were recorded in 2015, 336 cases in 2016, and 476 cases up to October, 2017.

Meanwhile, for Syphilis infection case, a total of 191 cases was recorded in 2015, 231 cases recorded in 2016, and 364 cases recorded up to October, 2017.

“Meanwhile, on the HIV infection case, a total of 255 cases was recorded in 2015, 275 cases recorded in 2016, and a total of 305 cases was recorded up to October, 2017. The increase in notification rate case of HIV per 100,000 people was alarming because in the last 10 years, the notification rate was only 4.7 in 2015, 10.3 in 2016, and 10.9 in 2017 up to October, 2017,” she said.

She added that to cater to the STI issue, the State Health Department has implemented actions such as detection, treatment, prevention, and counselling for the patients as well as to the affected partner and high risk group such as homosexual, transgender, sex worker, and drug addicts by injection.

“The department also organised awareness and education programmes, collaboration and strategic plan with public agency as well as with Sarawak AIDS Concern Society, “In 2018, a talk (Wacana Bestari) will be held to discuss the STI issue and action plans to cater to the issue,” said Fatimah.

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