Kelantan HIV figures released

New cases of HIV stood at 749 in Kelantan last year, it has been announced.

Wan Ubaihad Omar, the state's women and family development and health committee chairman revealed these figures, adding that there were more than 84,000 reported instances of HIV in the region at the end of 2008.

Ms Ubaihad Omar told NST.com: "Kelantan was among the earliest after Johor to introduce compulsory screening and this showed our seriousness. Efforts to educate the people are being carried out by the Education Department and the state government through its Halaqah division."

Infections among 20 to 29-year-olds accounted for 25 per cent of instances in 2008, while 42 per cent of new cases were in people aged between 30 and 39.

The statistics showed that there had been a rise in cases of sexually-transmitted HIV and a fall in the number of instances attributed to drug use.

Recently, more than 1,000 scientists met in Paris to discuss new HIV vaccine research.

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