Last month 11 residents of Crisis Home was down with covid. (4 from the men’s home, 2 from the women n children home-based homes and 5 from the working/support group). It was frightening especially for them not only with HIV but other comorbidities as well, diabetics, Hepatitis C etc. Praise The Lord, with many prayers all have recovered well and without going through major illness or discomfort. It has been 1 month since the last infection at Crisis Home and all have been cleared from quarantine requirements.

Giving All Glory to Almighty Lord & Savior. Amen

I am writing this, an obituary to Anita and her baby, Hope. It is a testimony. In many ways Anita lived a tragic life. She was born in poverty, in a small Kampong in Kalimantan, Indonesia and not able to go to school. When she was 9 years, she came to work across the border, in Serian, Sarawak Malaysia but was physically abused by her employers. Couldn’t withstand the constant physical abuse in her small fragile body she ran away but was caught up by the employment agents where she endured more beating till she had bad back injuries that caused her much pains in later years.

Looking for love, in May 2012 at 23 years old she married her husband. He died 1 year later, which did not make Anita’s life any better. All she ever wanted was to be loved and protected by someone, but the man she chose to give her what she desired is gone. Anita began to live a life of a single mother and was forcibly chased out of the house, she and her baby by the late husband first wife. She was stabbed on her back with a sharp object which caused more injuries to her bad back. Anita with her 15 months old baby girl, Hope, was homeless, sleeping in the street of Sarawak until the baby girl was admitted to Sarawak General Hospital with severe and life threatening illness. Anita went back to work helping out in a coffee shop until she has to stop to attend to baby Hope full time due to her weakening body.

They went back to their kampong in Kalimantan Indonesia but have to travel monthly for hospital appointment in Sarawak GH. This is a costly and very uncomfortable 6 hours journey that begins at 5am. In that early hour Anita would carry her baby to get on a motorcycle taxi (Odjek) to get to the border post when the gates open at 6am. From there it’s another 4 – 5 hours journey in a small mini bus like those who had experience it before in the early days of Kuala Lumpur. But in these mini bus, Anita and her baby will encounter those who smoke inside the bus and causing much discomfort to baby Hope who will be crying not just of discomfort but because of the pain her very weak body was experiencing. Anita was carrying her baby with her bad back but she was determined to get the best medical care for her baby despite of the tough challenges. For the next 2 years her baby girl has been hospitalized a few more times until she died at a very young age 3 years on 30 January 2016.

Anita seemed to never get what she hope for. How many of us have received the life we dreamed or hoped to receive? Anita at 9 years old left home and family, hoping to find a better life, only to be confronted with disappointments. She was battered and bruised because of people, life, and circumstances that are beyond her control. She was a hurting soul and lives a life in quiet desperation. What she did receive from each of you who knows her or heard of her, was far better than what she ever imagined. A new life begins. She learns to laugh. Pain is swallowed up in victory. Disappointment is confounded.

Dear friends, if I could bring Anita and talk to you now and for you to embrace/hugs her with your loves, she would want you to know, thank you for being there for her and her baby girl, Hope. To many who have sent messages, thank you for your kind words and encouragement. You are amazing. It has been a joy to serve you in this caring work and it has been even more joy to be served by you during such time. I was told me a long time ago I would not get everything I wanted in life, but what I would get would far surpass all of my disappointments. This is the main lesson I have learned. “It’s worth it all.” What each of you did in caring and loving Anita and baby Hope blow my mind. It makes you and I, human. Thank you

Each of us are picked by The Almighty God to love, serve and care. My prayer is for this message to go forth in the hope that many hurting people will come to know a “friend”. And as in my very good and dear friend (Mona) words, “May this be a reminder to all of us that our work is not done and that there is more Anita and baby Hope who needs all the help we can give”. Lastly, thanks the many friends and strangers in Malaysia and Indonesia in this journey together. Many I have not met. There are no strangers in this world, only friends we have yet to meet.

Dear Anita,
It was hard, wasn’t it? You received some of life’s harshest blows. But because of the divine mercy of Almighty God, you were picked by Him and yours and baby Hope lives have touched many people in different ways. Rest well. Hug baby Hope and let her know that we love her.
Your friend,
Isaac Tan

This true account is a special dedication to the team of doctors, nurses and NGO friends in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching (Sarawak), Jakarta and Pontianak (Kalimantan). It is a story of love, compassion and dedication across national borders.

January 29, 2016. Isaac Tan (Crisis Home) referred a case of a 25 year old Indonesian woman and her 3 year old daughter named Hope. The child’s Malaysian father died a couple of years ago, leaving mother and child homeless in Kuching, Sarawak. All members of the family were diagnosed with HIV. Isaac, with the assistance of Sarawak AIDS Concern had been providing support services to the mother and child, working on limited resources made available to them. At the point of contact, the child was hospitalised for cancer.

January 30, 2016. Baby Hope left us. It was the mother’s wish for Hope to be buried in Entikong, a small village across the Sarawak border. It was not an easy task, trying to bring Hope home. The death certificate was already stamped, clearly stating that Hope was retroviral positive. Furthermore, Hope was a Malaysian citizen. The infectious disease (ID) specialists at Sarawak General Hospital did their best to facilitate Hope’s return. The Indonesian Embassy was not forthcoming with any offer of assistance, after learning Hope’s family and health history. It was the Indonesian immigration who made it possible. They consented to Hope being transported across the border. It was a miracle!

February 2, 2016. Baby Hope was laid to rest. Her funeral service was full of dignity, surrounded by family and friends. May you rest in peace Baby Hope. You were immensely loved. Without Hope, the mother was no longer eligible for antiretroviral treatment in Malaysia. She had defaulted treatment several times due to dire personal circumstances. People who work in this industry know too well, basic survival needs supersedes treatment adherence. The next priority was to ensure the mother is able to access treatment in Indonesia as soon as possible.

February 25, 2016. Isaac flew to Pontianak to accompany Hope’s mother for her first consultation at Rumah Sakit Umum Dr Sudarso. Her CD4 result was poor, she will require speciliased medical treatment. Nonetheless, the consultation was a great success. To quote from Isaac’s message “Thanks again for all your love n efforts that helps to make this journey with (Hope’s Mother) possible. All is well at Rumah Sakit Sandrosa Pontianak Kalimantan Indonesia this morning. Will going again to the hospital tomorrow morning for (Hope’s Mother) to do the blood test. (Hope’s Mother) will be getting the very costly monthly HIV medicine free (FOC)! The immediate needs will now be for her monthly traveling expenses which is about rm150 rm200 for her survival n get treatment at Rumah Sakit Pontianak. From tomorrow blood test results if her CD4 is too low, Dr Wiwi will start her on the new n very good One month an Injection HIV treatment to bring up CD4 level. I’m amazed by the advance of HIV treatment in Indonesia.”

There are many people we must acknowledge in this story for acting so swiftly upon our request and for making that phone call to Kuching General Hospital and speaking so gently to the Infectious Disease specialist. Thank you Dr Wiwi Endang Susanti and Mbak Nany Andi Syamsudin for providing the best patient care possible; and for being kind and gentle to a fragile soul. And most of all, thank you Isaac Tan, for bringing us all together by your efforts, for taking care of Hope and her mother and last but not least, for reminding us that Hope must live on, in all of us.

I count my blessings every day for the honour for having wonderful colleagues. Apologies for any omissions made or errors in describing the turn of events. I was merely a bystander from afar.

PEP is a short course of HIV medicines taken very soon after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent the virus from taking hold in your body. You must start it within 72 hours after you were exposed to HIV, or it won’t work. Every hour counts. If you are prescribed PEP, you will take HIV medicines every day for 28 days.

You may be prescribed PEP if you are HIV-negative or don’t know your HIV status, and in the last 72 hours you:

• Think you may have been exposed to HIV during sex (for example, you had a condom break)
• Shared needles or works to prepare drugs
• Were sexually assaulted

PEP is effective in preventing HIV infection when it’s taken correctly, but it’s not 100% effective. The sooner you start PEP after a possible HIV exposure, the better.

Most People Living with HIV/AIDS have family members. When they find out that they have a HIV positive family member, the family would find shelters where care can be given to them or they would just leave them in a hospital. But are they not their brother, sister, father, or mother? This was what happened to David, but with treatment, care and support, he is bringing awareness to people  regarding the topic of HIV and AIDS. He does this to remove the concept that getting the virus only happens to other people, that it will never happen to ‘me’, our children, our nephews, or other children in our neighborhood.

Stigmas exist because of the lack of understanding on HIV, where people have false perceptions that this disease can be transmitted through touch, having meals together, swimming in the same pool, spending time in an enclosed air-conditioned room, using the same lavatory, and having being bitten by the same mosquito.

Conversely, the actual fact is that HIV cannot be transmitted through these ways because normal body fluids and waste products such as – feces, nasal fluid, sweat, tears, urine, or vomit – have insufficient amount of virus in them to infect another person, unless blood is mixed in these substances or a person has significant direct contact with one who is living with HIV.

Regardless of the situation, it’s time to educate ourselves about HIV and AIDS so that we can accept People Living with HIV. It is the year 2019 and we are still  hearing stories of People Living with HIV being told turned away from employment or that they are not allowed to eat in the office cafeteria. Thank you for being our long-time partners in getting the correct message out.

Stigma Kills, Treatment works,   Prevention Works.

Some of the outreach program of Crisis Home in caring for People Living with HIV.
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To love and care for others, especially for those whom you knew that they can’t reward you. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you…” From The Good Book, John 15:12

 #LoveYourNeighbours

Heterosexual sex has become the main contributor, accounting for 70 per cent of recent HIV and AIDS cases, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

“Most of the cases involve men who contract HIV or AIDS after having unprotected sex with female sex workers. These men, after being infected, then pass on the disease to their family,” he told reporters today.

Dr Subramaniam said this factor now poses a bigger threat to public safety, as drug addicts used to be the main cause behind the disease’s spread.

“We have managed to control the spread of HIV and AIDS through drug addicts with various efforts and rehabilitation programmes with non-governmental organisations,” he said.

He said there are currently 40,000 female sex workers at risk of contracting the disease.

“To curb this phenomenon from growing, we have to manage these 40,000 people by reaching out to them and providing the needed help,” he said.

He said there are currently 170,000 drug abusers, 20,000 transgender people, and 170,000 homosexual men who are at risk of contracting the disease.

However, Dr Subramaniam noted that despite the increase, said the number of total HIV and AIDS cases have dropped by 35 per cent since 2000.

The number of AID and HIV-related deaths have also decreased by 42 per cent since 2004, he said.

He said, in line with the United Nation’s Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: On The Fast Tract to Accelerate The Fight Against HIV and to End AIDS Epidemic by 2030, Malaysia also hopes to put an end to the disease with zero new cases within the stipulated period.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/07/158069/70-cent-hiv-aids-cases-malaysia-transmitted-heterosexual-sex

It also contained an extensive analysis of the targets set for 2020 when 90% of all HIV-infected people should know their status, 90% of all HIV-diagnosed people should be able to access anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and 90% of those taking ART have virally suppressed HIV.

The report produced by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS said that there was an annual 13% decline in new infections, from some 310,000 in 2010 to 270,000 in 2016.

It added that some 19.5 million of the world’s 36.7 million HIV-infected people had access to treatment, and said that the target is to put 30 million people worldwide on treatment by 2020.

Answer: The general response to that question—the one that a person is most likely receive from helplines or brochures—is “not long.” The standard public health message today will tell us, quite fairly, that HIV is a weak virus and that once exposed to air, it can survive for maybe a few minutes at best.

To some, this may seem like a cursory, or even glib, response.

Surely if there are greater quantities of blood or body fluids, then it would stand to reason that HIV could possibly survive for longer than a few minutes, wouldn’t it?

The answer to that question, in all fairness, would be “yes.”

Under specific conditions, HIV can survive for far longer period of time, sometimes for hours or even days if the right temperatures, pH balance, light exposure and humidity are achieved.

It is a very difficult set of conditions but is nevertheless possible.

But does that necessarily mean that a person who comes into contact with spilled blood, semen or body fluids run an actual risk of infection?

The answer to this question is most always “no.”

The presence of HIV in spilled or discarded body fluids does not inherently mean that it has the potential to infect. While the conditions may be suitable for HIV to survive in microscopic quantities, transmission requires both significant quantities of HIV and the ability for the viruses to reach specific target cells within the body. Unless those conditions are satisfied, HIV infection simply cannot occur.

Determining the Potential for HIV Transmission

When discussing the potential for HIV transmission, it’s important to first establish the four criteria that must occur in order for an infection to take place:

1. There must be body fluids in which HIV can thrive, such as semen, blood, vaginal fluids or breast milk. HIV cannot thrive in the open air or in parts of the body with high acid content (such as the stomach or bladder).
2. There must be a route of transmission, such as through certain sexual activities, shared needles, occupational exposure or transmission from mother to child.
3. There must be a means for the virus to reach vulnerable cells within your body, either through a rupture or penetration of the skin, absorption through vulnerable mucosal tissue, or both. Scrapes, abrasions or pricks on the skin do not generally provide an ample route of entry. HIV cannot penetrate intact skin.
4. There must be sufficient levels of virus in the body fluids, which is why saliva, sweat and tears are unlikely sources since the level of virus in these fluids is considered insufficient for infection.

Because casual contact with discarded or spilled body fluids do not generally satisfy these conditions, the likelihood of infection is considered low to negligible.

Even in instances where an individual has come into contact with a discarded syringe—considered to be of potentially higher risk—most research has suggested that the risk of transmission was next to zero. An extensive review conducted in Australia in 2003 reported not one cases of HIV or hepatitis C as a result of contact with a discarded needle.

Conditions by Which HIV Can Survive Outside of the Body

If HIV were to survive outside of the body for more than a few minutes, it would need to do so within the following conditions:

• Colder temperatures below 39^oF (4^oC) are considered ideal for HIV to thrive in syringes, where it is better able to maintain levels of humidity. By contrast, HIV does not do well at room temperature (68^oF/20^oC), with viability decreasing significantly as it reaches body temperature (98.6^oF/37^oC) and beyond.
• The ideal pH level for HIV is between 7 and 8, with the optimal level of 7.1. Anything above or below these levels is considered unsuitable for survival. This is why HIV is less able to thrive in certain mucosal tissues such as nasal passages or the vaginal tissue of healthy women, as well as in feces, urine or vomit.
• HIV can, survive in dried blood at room temperature for up to six days, although most research shows that concentrations of the virus in dried blood are almost universally low.
• HIV survives longer when it is not exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light degrades the lipids that comprise HIV’s exterior shell, rendering it incapable to attach to other cells, while it also degrades the genetic material that HIV needs to replicate.

http://aids.about.com/od/hivaidsbasics/fl/How-Long-Can-HIV-Really-Live-Outside-of-the-Body.htm?nl=1

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV attacks the body’s immune system, making it weak and less able to fight off diseases. When a person is confirmed to have been infected by HIV, the person is said to be HIV positive (HIV+). This does not necessarily mean that the person has AIDS.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the name given to a group of illnesses, which occur in HIV+ people as a result of a weakened immune system.

THE human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks other living cells and makes copies of itself. Although an infected individual feels well, the virus actively infects and destroys cells of the immune system, which are constantly being produced.

The number of cells of the immune system are slowly reduced, and after a number of years, the immune system is weakened and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) develops. A person infected by HIV can infect other people, irrespective of whether there are symptoms or not.

The methods of transmission of HIV infection are blood-to-blood-infection with contaminated syringes and needles; unsafe sexual practices, i.e. sex without condoms; a mother infecting her baby during pregnancy, labour or through breast milk after childbirth; and transfusions of contaminated blood. All donated blood in Malaysia is tested for HIV, so this route of infection is extremely unlikely.

Serious illnesses that may result from HIV infection include those that are normally prevented by the body’s immune system. They include tuberculosis (TB), pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, fungal infections, and cancers. These are called opportunistic infections because they take advantage of the weakened immune system.

We plead and need all your help to raise HIV awareness. The good news of HIV is, HIV IS PREVENTABLE. This is a message of HOPE that all needs to hear. May we together face His task and to take up His Cross. “Together we can make the difference”.

Be Faithful: In addition to abstinence, to eliminate casual or other concurrent sex partners and to practice fidelity within marriages and other sexual relationships. This reduces exposure to HIV.

Use a Condom: The final component to the ABC approach is “correct and consistent condom use.”

For many, the only concern before having sex is the risk of pregnancy. Others believe that only one time is no risk at all. Unfortunately, both premises are wrong. Unsafe sex carries a multitude of risks, HIV transmission, sexually transmitted diseases, …

Our goal is to create that change of perception on people living with HIV in the society and help them find hope and continue living a fulfilled life., a life of purpose.

Please go to the nearest government hospital for blood test if you have reasons to suspect yourself of HIV infection. Antiretroviral treatment is highly effective. Government had implemented highly subsidized program to help all People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Ignore the warning at your own peril. Delay to seek treatment is strongly discouraged. Early treatment will still prolong your life.

DO NOT let a tiny HIV virus defeats you and all your loved ones. Be smart and wise!

Sometimes, getting the motivation to ‘get up and get out’ can be difficult, especially if you’re depressed or feeling low. But making that effort can give your mind a real boost.

Some people fear that HIV might be transmitted in other ways; however, no scientific evidence to support any of these fears has been found. If HIV were being transmitted through other routes (such as through air, water, or insects), the pattern of reported AIDS cases would be much different from what has been observed. For example, if mosquitoes could transmit HIV infection, many more young children and preadolescents would have been diagnosed with AIDS.

Myth: that HIV and AIDS are diseases that only affect homosexuals and sex workers.
Truth: anyone can get infected with HIV regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, occupation or class.

Myth: that you can get HIV from kissing, holding hands, sharing the same toilet or room with someone that is HIV positive.
Truth: the saliva in your mouth does not contain enough of the HIV virus to transfer it to another person purely from kissing iii.

Myth: that you can get AIDS from a mosquito bite.
Truth: HIV and AIDS cannot be transmitted through the bites of insects.

Myth: In some parts of Africa it is believed that sex with a virgin can cure AIDS.
Truth: There is no cure for HIV and AIDS.

Myth: That you cannot get HIV from oral sex.
Truth: HIV can be contracted through oral sex, though the possibility is relatively smaller than contracting the virus through sexual intercourse.

Myth: Women that are HIV positive cannot have children without infecting them.
Truth: Without treatment HIV-positive mothers pass HIV to their newborns about 25 percent of the time. However, with modern treatment, this rate has dropped drastically to about 2 percent

Live … as if this is your first day
Live … as if this is your last day
Live … as if your life is a miracle
Live … as if you are not going to fail
Live … as if you are destined for greatness

You help others when you give
You inspire others when you live strong
You love others when you show compassion

Live your life with greatness
With … the courage of a lion
With … the braveness of a warrior
With … the gentleness of the wind
With … the compassion of a mother
With … the greatness of the universe

Start Living Greatness today
Living Greatness starts with you

The summit – from 8 to 10 June – concluded with the adoption of a declaration that by 2015 seeks to double the number of people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to 15 million, end mother-to-child transmission of HIV, halve tuberculosis-related deaths in people living with HIV, and increase preventive measures for the “most vulnerable populations”.

This is the first time that unguarded sexual activity has caused more new HIV/AIDS infection cases than drug use through injections.

Statistics from the Malaysian AIDS Council also revealed that homosexual and bisexual transmission cases have shot up last year, from 162 cases to 201.

New cases of HIV/AIDS infections last year numbered at 3,090.

The trend has changed. HIV/AIDS in Malaysia did not spread mostly by needle injections as most of us were made to believe.

CD4 cells are a type of lymphocyte (white blood cell). They are an important part of the immune system. CD4 cells are sometimes called T-cells. There are two main types of T-cells. T-4 cells, also called CD4+, are “helper” cells. They lead the attack against infections. T-8 cells, (CD8+), are “suppressor” cells that end the immune response. CD8+ cells can also be “killer” cells that kill cancer cells and cells infected with a virus.

Why are CD4 cells important in HIV?

When HIV infects humans, the cells it infects most often are CD4 cells. The virus becomes part of the cells, and when they multiply to fight an infection, they also make more copies of HIV.

When someone is infected with HIV for a long time, the number of CD4 cells they have (their CD4 cell count) goes down. This is a sign that the immune system is being weakened. The lower the CD4 cell count, the more likely the person will get sick. Early in the course of the disease, the body can make more CD4 cells to replace the ones that have been damaged by HIV. Eventually, the body can’t keep up and the number of functioning T-cells decreases. As more and more CD4 cells become damaged, the immune system becomes more and more weakened.

There are millions of different families of CD4 cells. Each family is designed to fight a specific type of germ. When HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells, some of these families can be totally wiped out. You can lose the ability to fight off the particular germs those families were designed for. If this happens, you might develop an opportunistic infection.

• Every 12 seconds someone is newly infected with HIV
• 80% of all HIV transmission is sexual
• 60% of people living with HIV don’t know they’re infected.
• People aged 15-24 account for 40% of new HIV infections worldwide.
• There are 33million people living with HIV globally
• HIV is transmitted through blood, sexual fluids and mother to child
• HIV is not transmitted through tears, sweat, saliva or mosquitoes

If you’re having sex the only way to protect yourself from HIV is to use a condom each and every time. No other form of contraception protects against HIV and other STIs. Unprotected anal and vaginal sex can both transmit HIV if one partner is HIV+ Unprotected oral sex also carries a risk, but this risk is significantly lower.

HIV has been here for nearly 27 years, have attitudes changed.

No, so ask yourself why? Ignorance and fear, so changing attitudes and improving education at all ages and levels of our society may make that difference.

More awareness, better understanding and increased acceptance that HIV is here and not going away.

No matter who or where you are, your actions could make a real difference in stopping the spread of HIV and ending HIV prejudice.

Independent Living means that we seek the same choices and control in our every-day lives that our neighbors and friends take for granted. We want to grow up in our families, go to the neighborhood school, use the same bus as our neighbors, work in jobs that are in line with our education and interests, and start families of our own with self-determination, equal opportunities and self-respect.

“Medication is important, but equally important is that one needs support from friends and family, and an environment free from stigma and discrimination.

To what extent do you feel young people are leading in HIV prevention? And what do you think is the most effective way of getting HIV prevention messages out to young people in your country?

In other words, many are of the view that while the threat of AIDS does exist, as long as it is not their problem, it is really not a problem. This way of thinking is really misleading, creating a false sense of safety about the AIDS situation. Denying the problem exists and thinking that it is somebody else’s problem only results in a poor understanding of the subject.

When people deny they have a problem, and when people do not think AIDS is their problem, no concrete measures are likely to be taken, the fight against AIDS will surely suffer.

Denial of the underlying problem and thinking that AIDS only infects other people will also create a dangerous trend. When one thinks one is invincible, there is a tendency to indulge in high risk activities that could expose one to the virus itself.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.”

Expanded use of antiretroviral therapy – accompanied by good adherence – has the potential to significantly reduce the spread of HIV, according to the results of a mathematical model developed by Canadian researchers and published in the July 1st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

They calculated that over two-thirds of all projected new HIV infections by 2030 in British Columbia would be averted if all individuals eligible for antiretroviral therapy started such treatment when their CD4 cell count was in the region of 350 cells/mm3 – the current recommended threshold for initiating anti-HIV treatment.

There is unlikely to be an effective vaccine for HIV for some time and current prevention work is only partially effective. Treatment with anti-HIV drugs can mean a longer, healthier life for HIV-positive individuals, and access to antiretroviral therapy is expanding across the globe.

As well as having benefits for the individual patients, antiretroviral therapy may also have public health benefit. Treatment with anti-HIV drugs lowers the amount of HIV in the body, significantly reducing the infectiousness of HIV-infected individuals. In a recent controversial statement, leading HIV physicians in Switzerland suggested that patients taking anti-HIV treatment who have had an undetectable viral load in their blood for at least six months, who take their treatment properly, and who do not have a sexually transmitted infection, should not be considered infectious to their sex partners.

Even in countries with universal access to antiretroviral therapy, large numbers of patients do not start treatment, even when their CD4 cell count suggests that they are at risk of developing an AIDS-defining illness. Very high levels of adherence to anti-HIV treatment are needed to obtain the best results and to avoid the development of drug resistance, but many patients find this difficult to achieve and maintain.

Investigators in the Canadian province of British Columbia, which has universal free access to antiretroviral therapy, developed a series of mathematical models to assess how increasing access to antiretroviral therapy, the early initiation of anti-HIV treatment, and improved levels of adherence would affect the spread of HIV in the province by 2030.

At the moment only 50% of HIV-positive individuals in British Columbia start antiretroviral therapy before their CD4 cell count falls to below 200 cells/mm3, and patients on treatment take approximately 78% of their doses – well below the 95% target and at the level which involves the greatest risk for the development of drug resistant virus. The investigators calculated that this level of treatment coverage and adherence would lead to a modest increase in the annual number of new HIV infections every year – from 421 in 2006 to 462 in 2030.

They then calculated the potential impact of more patients starting anti-HIV treatment before their CD4 cell count fell to the 200 cells/mm3 threshold. Their calculations showed that if 75% of eligible patients had started treatment by this stage it would yield a 37% reduction in the total number of new HIV infections, and if 100% of patients had started treatment by the time before they reached a CD4 cell count of 200 cells/mm3, then 62% of onward transmissions would be averted.

HIV treatment guidelines around the world now recommend that patients should start antiretroviral therapy when their CD4 cell count is in the region of 350 cells/mm3 and the investigators included this earlier initiation of therapy into their models.

Once again, they found that the current coverage rate of 50%, accompanied by 78% adherence would mean a modest increase in the number of annual HIV infections.

But they found that greater coverage of anti-HIV treatment would result in substantial reductions in the number of new HIV infections. Their calculations showed that if 75% of patients started treatment when their CD4 cell count was 350 cells/mm3, then 40% of the projected new infections by 2030 would be averted, and this increased to 67% of anticipated infections if all patients started treatment when their CD4 cell count was around 350 cells/mm3. Increasing patient adherence would further modestly increase the number of averted infections.

Faster expansion of anti-HIV treatment would result in faster decreases in the numbers of new infections, according to the investigators’ model. Furthermore, immediate expansion of access to anti-HIV treatment would save a total of Canadian $95 million, or Canadian $368,000 per patient.

“Our results indicate that higher HAART coverage consistently leads to a decrease in the number of individuals testing newly positive for HIV”, write the investigators. They conclude, “expansion of HAART coverage should lead to a substantial reduction of the growth of the HIV epidemic and related direct treatment costs. Our model supports a powerful and as-of-yet little appreciated additive preventative value for expanding HAART coverage.”

In his speech at a news conference at the United Nations Center, China’s Xinhua news agency cited Sidib, as saying that everyday there are 7,000 people being infected with HIV in the world, of which 1,500 are in the southern African region.

Due to lack of effective treatment for pregnant women, about 400,000 babies are born with HIV each year, he said.

According to him, the global annual funding needed to fight against AIDS has exceeded US$16 billion.

About 4.7 million AIDS patients across the world are receiving treatment. Although this figure is already 10 times as much as five years ago, there are still 11 million HIV-infected people who are not properly treated.

Executive Director of the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, said drug consumption contributes to the spread of AIDS.

Currently the global injection drug users reach about 3 million. In some countries, even 40 percent of injecting drug users is HIV infected, said Costa.

During the news conference, the President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), Julio Montaner, urged the international community and governments to further strengthen the research and capital investment for more effective prevention and control of AIDS.

The international AIDS conference “AIDS 2010” will be held from July 18 to 23 in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Some 25000 delegates from all over the world are expected to attend the meeting. — BERNAMA

“Effective harm reduction approaches include access to clean needles, opioid substitution therapy for opiate users, access to antiretroviral therapy and reducing sexual transmission of HIV from drug users to their sexual partners through condom promotion,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “But current coverage of these services is appallingly low.”

Answer: Studies have proven time and time again that HIV does not survive well outside the human body. In artificially high concentrations produced in the lab, HIV drying that occurs outside of the body reduces the number of infectious viral particles by 99 percent in just a few hours. Since the concentration of HIV in blood or other bodily fluids is much lower, HIV drying outside the human body virtually eliminates all infectious HIV particles therefore making the risk of HIV infection from blood or bodily fluids outside the body essentially zero.

Keep in mind that while HIV infection from infectious bodily fluids outside the human body is essentially zero, other diseases like hepatitis B and C can and do occur. Therefore, any blood or bodily fluid outside the body should be considered a health risk and cleaned up using universal precautions and cleaning fluids that are known to kill viruses on contact. About.com Guide

If the HIV test is positive, there are a number of things that can be done to help a person cope with the result and lead a healthy life.

* A person who tests positive will at some point need to take antiretroviral treatment to slow down the virus and maintain a healthy immune system. The longer a person remains unaware of their infection, the less likely it is that the treatment will work. Doctors can monitor an HIV positive person’s health in order to provide the right treatment regimen at the right time.

* If a person is aware of their HIV infection they can take steps to protect other people. They can practice safer sex and inform previous sexual partners that they may have been at risk of infection.

* Those who test positive who were thinking of starting a family can learn about ways to protect their child from becoming infected with HIV through mother-to-child transmission

Most of the HIV infection cases were in Kelantan (297), followed by Pahang (240), Terengganu (191), Selangor (151), Perak (108), Kedah (98), Johor (90), Sarawak (74), and Penang and the Federal Territory with 51 cases each.

Malaysian AIDS Council exco member Pax Tan gave the figures at a media sensitisation workshop here yesterday.

“Selangor had the most AIDS cases at 71, followed by Sarawak with 46, the Federal Territory, 39, and both Terengganu and Negri Sembilan at 33 cases each,” he said.

Factory workers, fishermen, private sector workers, lorry drivers and housewives were the top five groups infected with HIV, Tan said.

NST Online http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20aid/Article/

Last week on the way back from Chai’s hospital appointment we drop by his house to collect his IC. When we reach his house he was not welcome into the house. His mother couldn’t even look at him or touch him. It breaks my heart when Chai call for his mum and he broke down and cries. How can a mother reject his own son? His father is not happy that we are helping and keeping him alive. How can this be happening!

Yap who is blind because of the virus infection has not been visited by his family members for the past 11/2 years. His brother lives nearby, in Cheras. AIDS kills but discrimination & rejection kills faster. Yap needs all the support he can get after losing his eyesight. How can this be happening!

Wai who has been with us for the past 1 year has not been visited by his family member. When he came, he has full blown AIDS with many illnesses but has since recovered. His family who are in Ipoh, esp. his bro has not come to visit him. AIDS kills but discrimination & rejection kills faster. How can this be happening!

A young widow passed away with a broken heart. She was HIV+ and was shunned by her family members and community. Her 14 years old son has to stop going to school and has to go to work to help support the family. AIDS kills but discrimination & rejection kills faster. How can this be happening!

Thank you for praying and working together to put an end to discrimination and put a stop to HIV/AIDS.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.”

Was with him in the hospital till he went home, comforting him that he will not die alone. We, the staff and residents at Crisis Home are humbled, we are able to provide him, two baths a day, three good meals and two snacks a day and getting plenty of rest and also time to watch some television movies. Please continue to pray for the other residents for a good recovery and respond to the HAART (HIV medications) prescribed and to help prevent illnesses and infections.

Praise Report – June 2009

1. Thank you to the group of students from Lim Kok Wing University who came and did a documentary on HIV/AIDS education. This documentary will be shown to their fellow students and bring about awareness and knowledge to remove fear and discrimination toward individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

2. Thank you to the group of students from Inti College (Subang) who came to have lunch with us. They were able to learn more on HIVAIDS by speaking with the residents and received teaching session that was conducted.

3. Thank you to the 4 students and staff from Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) for the opportunity they had been exposed to the work at Crisis Home – caring for individuals living with HIV. It was a great experience for them.

4. Thank you to our friends from Port Klang Methodist Church (Chinese) for their monthly visit and cooking some western meal for us. They brought along abundance of durians and rambutans.

5. Praise God for Jeff and Ling who had opened their heart and accepted God as their Lord and Saviour.

6. Praise God for Wong and Fei who has completed their treatment for tuberculosis  (TB) and has been given a clean bill of health from the doctor.

7. Praise God for Wai whose immune system level has risen from CD4 of 3 to a higher CD4 of 166.

Prayer Request – July 2009

1. Prayer for all the residents and staffs for their health and growth in the Lord.

2. Pray for Jeff who has been hospitalised and for doctor to save his eye sight.

3. Pray for Ling whose red blood cell count is low.

4. Pray for Wai, Fei and Chai’s baptism.

5. Prayer for the students from Inti College (Subang) who will be coming to conduct interviews and write stories of the residents. Pray that their testimonies will be a blessing to the general public who read it.

6. Pray for our sharing session on HIV education in the homelife groups of Subang Jaya Assemblies Of God Church as part of their Mission Month emphasis.

7. Pray for God to provide all our need of foodstuffs, supplements and finance.

God bless and thank for all your support.

1. That God will use me as I long to make a contribution to His work

2. That God will provide a new and better place for us as we set up another home when we downsize the present Crisis Care Home.

3. That the staff, residents and I will continue to develop healthy relationships

4. A group of students from Lim Kok Wing University as they come on 5 June 2009 and learn together and do a documentary as we look forward to mobilize a holistic and more effective response to the challenges of today’s HIV pandemic.

4. A group of students from Evangelical Students (FES) www.fes.org.my as they do an attachment / internship with Crisis Care Home from 17 to 19 June 2009

5. A group of students from INTI University College as they come on 20 June 2009 for HIV/AIDS education and awareness

6. Pray for Ling and Jeff who is sick and not getting better

Thank you so much for your prayers. If you would like to write to me, I’d enjoy hearing from you. I trust that by God’s grace and your prayers, June 2009 will be a profitable one for His glory.

Together We Are The Solution

Crisis Care Home has been a home for 171 residents since 2003. Majority are referred from the Government Hospital because of their condition, homeless, full-blown AIDS and needing 24 x 7 cares. Many are physically challenged and have opportunistic diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, meningitis, psychiatric problem etc caused by the HIV virus but with treatment from hospital and the care they received at the home many has since recovered and has since returned to society. While they were at the home, they are exposed to education and awareness on HIV and how to prevent from spreading the virus.

We have tried many people & avenue but it is a very sensitive issue. Town council knows it is very sensitive to evict just based on what we are doing. Town council needs us to get approval on the structure set up. They have also come and fine us for petty things like breeding mosquito larvae etc.

We have an architecture bro to help us draw up the plan for submission but we need the landlord to sign & approve for submission with all the cost bear by Crisis Care Home. The landlord is not willing to sign.

We need to find a place to build up the home. Question is will the residents in the places we are going to, will welcome and allowed us to be there. With fear it has brings about discrimination.

There is a great need to bring about awareness & education on HIV/AIDS and knowledge on individuals living with HIV/AIDS. “Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”

Crisis Care Home will not fight the council but consider moving to a more “suitable place”. The owner does not want any trouble/publicity. She was uneasy when town council and the residents association called her and we respect her decision. Anyway, we have decided to dismantle the structure.

Crisis Care Home is the home for 16 residents of whom 7 are physically challenged (OKU) and 2 are senior citizens (warga emas). They are here because they are homeless with no family to care for them. We are a charity shelter home and not a commercials business home.

In Malaysia People Living With HIV/AIDS do not have a shelter home provided by the government. Most of these homes are run voluntary and supported by the public donations. There is no special home for us to go.

Crisis Care Home is kept clean & tidy to the best of our ability. We have not caused disturbance to the neighbourhood.

All of the residents are on HAART (treatment for HIV/AIDS) provided by the Sg Buloh General Hospital and referred from the hospital to the home for ease of transportation to the hospital. If we are to move to another place, it will create problems to their treatment.

People Living With HIV/AIDS faces discrimination and are rejected by the local community. It needs to be overcome together in providing support and care is a “local community environment” so that the responsibility of care can be share together. “Together, we are the solution”

Thanks for all your help. God bless

HIV is threatening many like never before. Globally, children under 15 account for 1 in 6 AIDS-related deaths and 1 in 7 new global HIV infections. A child under 15 dies of an AIDS-related illness every minute of every day, a young person aged 15 to 24 gets infected with HIV every 15 seconds while 15 million children are already orphaned by AIDS.

More than twenty years into the AIDS epidemic and HIV/AIDS shows no signs of weakening its grip on human society. The number of children, adolescents and young people in the path of the pandemic and at risk and in need of protection continues to rise daily.

AIDS is depriving many of their human rights – of the care, love and affection of their parents; of their teachers and other role models; of education and options for the future; and of protection against exploitation and abuse.

In Malaysia, new HIV infections are doubling every three years with an average of 17 people testing HIV-positive daily. Of the 84,630 people already infected in Malaysia as of December 2008, almost forty (40) per cent occur in young people below the age of 29. Perhaps the biggest challenge that is facing Malaysia is that people are still largely unaware about the disease, resulting in high-risk behaviours, stigma and discrimination.

This year the theme of International AIDS Memorial Day is “Together, We Are The Solution”. This reflects the facts that we all have a personal responsibility to combat HIV/AIDS and it is only by working together that we will be successful.

The residents of Crisis Home was invited for a movie outing together with pop corns and soft drinks by our friends Fauziah, Roslan and Ben from PT Foundation. We had a great and enjoyable time watching a local comedy movie “Talentime”. There was joy in their hearts, laughter in their voices and smile on their faces.

Thank you to our friends from PT Foundation for inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Although we would not be able to pay them back, God assured that they would be blessed and that God would reward them.

God loves the less fortunate. He invites us to love them by opening up our hearts and homes. Opening up our hearts and homes blesses both us and others. We are all here by His Grace and Love.

Equally as important is emotional support — from friends, family or a group. An opportunity to interact with people who are going through or have been through a similar experience is invaluable.

Many people continue to live healthy, happy lives more than 10 years after testing positive for HIV. The bottom line is that testing positive for HIV is not a death sentence. Treating your body well, following your doctor’s instructions and maintaining good mental health are simple steps you can take to manage your health. Different things work for different people — find out what works for you and do it.

We all know that smoking is a health hazard, so I hope smokers will heed Nik Aziz’s advice and seriously consider giving up this dangerous habit.

(New Straits Times March 28, 2009). KOTA BARU: Muslims who portray their Islamic image by wearing robes and skullcaps, but smoke, are more despicable than cows, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said yesterday.

He said cigarette smoking was banned in Islam, and doctors, because the habit was hazardous to health.

“For example, a cow which defecates in the middle of the road, (we) cannot take legal action against it because it has no brain and cannot think. But human beings, who have brains, for them to do something which is wrong in religion and health-wise, what more when they are in an attire which symbolises Islam (wearing of skullcaps and robes), they can be regarded as being more despicable than cows,” he said in his weekly religious talk here.

1. Wai (CD4 is 3). He was having pain and difficulties to walk. He is able to walk better now and the leg is not so painful now. Even though his CD4 is at a critical level and virus load is still very high (536) he has a very good appetite and has gain a lot of weight. The virus has affected his brain but he is very much stable and alert now.

2. Fei (CD4 is 53). He was having TB of the stomach and has very bad stomach pain. He is now helping to drive the van to bring the residents for their hospital appointment. He is recovering from an operation to remove part of his large intestine.

3. Chai (CD4 is 66). He was having pain and difficulties to walk. He is able to walk better now and the leg is getting stronger but still not so stable.

4. Rajoo (CD4 is 229). He is our oldest residents age 64 years old. He was having ache all over his body but is getting better physically.

5. Kanna (CD4 is 320). He is feeling weak for the past 2 weeks.

6. Wong (CD4 is 441) He is 56 years old and was having pain in his both his legs and was losing weight due to poor appetite. The pain is his legs is not so bad now and his appetite is back to normal.

7. Yap (CD4 is 162). He is blind because of the effect of the virus. He is also feeling depressesd because hs CD4 level has dropped from a high of 320 to 162 this month and suspected to heart problem. Has encouraged him to keep on praying.

8. Lim (CD4 is 320) He was having a very bad cough due to asthma and his lung has been badly damaged that the doctor cannot do anything about it. He is beginning to breath better now.

9. Meng (CD4 is 385) He was readmitted to Crisis Care Home because his family was not able to care for him.

10. Hee (CD4 is 187) He has been in hospital since September 2007 but he is helping to be a peer support for the new patients in the ward.

11. Thong – He was having joint pain on his right hand but has recovered now.

12. Yen – He was having pain walking but is getting better now.

13. Luke – He is our youngest resident (17 years old). Seeking for a vocational training for him to learn a skill.

Thank you for your support

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.” 

We the staff and residents at Crisis Care Home are humbled as Wah began his final spiral towards death, we are able to provide him, two baths a day, three good meals and two snacks a day and getting plenty of rest and also time to watch some television movies, comforting him that he will not die alone. Please continue to pray for the other residents for a good recovery and respond to the HAART (HIV medications) prescribed and to help prevent illnesses and infections.

Please pray for Wah, for peace & comfort and restoration of his health & dignity or come & just lay hand on him for God says: All things are possible!

On 18 Feb; Rejoice! Thank to all for helping Wah. We rejoice together as today Wah confessed, received and accepted to follow Him. As Wah battles on without any immune system (CD4 – 0) we being confident of this, that He who began a good work in Wah will carry it on to completion.

Thank you to all.

Wong –  He has been with Crisis Home for 1 year now. He was referred to us by the Government Infections Disease Hospital on Jan 2008 and was bed ridden using diapers for about 1 1/2 months. He is not only HIV+ but full blown AIDS and had Tuberculosis (TB) and suffering from Toxo (toxoplasmosis) – an infection caused by a single-celled parasite named Toxoplasma gondii that invade tissues and damage the brain. He was on medication for HIV, TB & Toxo. He was taking about 30 tablets per day and the phobia and struggle he faces daily when it was time for his medications. It takes about half an hour for him to take all the medications.

Feb 2009 – Today the report from the doctor, Wong has recovered from TB and Toxo. He do not have to take medications for it. Wong is now taking HIV medication. In Jan 2008 his CD 4 was 110 but today Feb 2009 his CD 4 is 441. PTL he has the highest CD4 count among the residents of Crisis Home and helping with the physical chores in the home.

Kanna – Crisis Home’s staff and he is not only HIV+ but full blown AIDS and had Tuberculosis (TB) and having Asthma.

Feb 2009 – Today the report from the doctor, Kanna has recovered from Tuberculosis (TB) and his CD4 is 431. Kanna is now taking HIV medication.

Rajoo – He has been with Crisis Home for 1 1/2 year now. He was referred to us by his close friends who later cheated him of his EPF savings on Aug 2007 and was just skin and bones. He is not only HIV+ but full blown AIDS and had Tuberculosis (TB).

Feb 2009 – Today the report from the doctor, Rajoo has recovered from Tuberculosis (TB) and his CD4 is 229 and his weight is a healthy 70 kg. Rajoo is now taking HIV medication.

Chai – He has been with Crisis Home for 4 months now. His family was fearful of him because he is HIV+. They rented a room for him and send his meals daily. His conditions deteriorated because there was no close monitoring of his HIV medications consumption and his CD 4 was at a critically level. He was referred to us by a family friends  He is not only HIV+ but full blown AIDS and had Toxo (toxoplasmosis) and needs a walking aids to help him to move about.

Feb 2009 – Today the report from the doctor, Yap CD4 is now 162 and he is beginning to have suspected heart problem. He will be going for more test for his heart condition.

Wai – He has been with Crisis Home for 2 months now. He is not only HIV+ but full blown AIDS and had pneumonia and suffering from Toxo (toxoplasmosis) and he had defaulted on his HIV medications and cause his CD 4 level to drop to only 3 only.

Crisis Home residents will be going for a 2 days 1 night retreat at Genting Highlands on 10 – 11 Feb 2009. HIV, it is not about dying but LIVING with HIV.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Jesus have come that individuals living with HIV/AIDS may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (Personalised Version)

Please pray for a good recovery and respond to the HIV medications prescribed to help prevent illnesses and infections.

1. Wai – CD4 of 3
2. Fei – CD4 of 83 and having tuberculosis (TB)
3. Chai – CD4 of 86

As Chinese New Year is approaching the residents thinks about their home and family and hope to be able to have a reunion meal with them but none of them are not able to go home because of family rejection. Help us to help them able to celebrate Chinese New Year in Crisis Home with a difference. Thank you and please share this needs and prayer request as we seek His Healing and Strength for our fellow brothers who are suffering. You can make the difference.

Malaysian AIDS Council President, Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said “The 3C’s should always be used as a gold standard for testing: Consent, Counselling and Confidentiality”. Prof Dr Adeeba stressed that, women’s NGOs, the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Medical Association had denounced the policy when it was first introduced by the State of Johor in 2001. However, despite the move to further implement this policy nationwide, there have been no attempts to involve, engage and consult any individuals and organizations working on HIV and issues affecting women.

During the recent World AIDS Day celebration, as we reflect on how to simultaneously prevent more people becoming infected with HIV and meet the needs and protect the human rights of people living with HIV, we call for renewed leadership in eradicating stigma, discrimination and human rights violations associated with HIV. We draw special attention to coercive policies such as mandatory HIV testing which are both discriminatory and violate human rights as laid out in several international treaties, including the right to  privacy and personal autonomy. “HIV is, and must remain, a public health issue to be addressed by the health sector.” said Prof Dr Adeeba. “Although the policy has not been made fully available to the public, we understand that there is a provision that allows health workers or religious authorities to notify one’s partner and their family of the other partner’s HIV status. It is necessary that each person who receives a positive HIV test result be counselled by a trained health professional and given assistance about informing his/her partner and family about his/her status. No healthcare provider or religious authority should be authorized to make that decision for individuals. “The mandatory partner notification provision may discourage people from testing and accessing treatment for HIV,” said Prof Dr Adeeba.

In addition, forcing couples to take pre-marriage HIV tests might create a false sense of security should the results turn out negative. Couples should be encouraged to undergo the tests themselves and those tested positive be given counselling. The test results could also turn out negative during the 3 to 6-month window period after infection (when a person can be infected with HIV but the HIV test is unable to detect the infection). “When the policy was introduced in 2001, neither the Johor State Government nor JAKIM conducted any studies to monitor the impact it would have on people living with HIV and their families, especially women. However, we know that women in particular, due to their lower status in society, are more likely than men to be vulnerable to discrimination, violence, abandonment and ostracism, if they are found to be infected with HIV. This has already occurred here in Malaysia,” said Lela Mokhtar, committee member, Malaysian Positive Network (myPlus), a national network for people living with HIV.

JAKIM has assured the public that those found to test positive for HIV would still be allowed to continue with the marriage if both partners agree to go ahead and to be given counselling and advice on preventive measures. We are encouraged by this recognition and positive assurance which ensures that people living with HIV have the right to marry. However, HIV testing- which should be voluntary – should not just be followed by counselling and advice, but be part of a comprehensive package of prevention, care, and support services and increased access to treatment. Moreover, as stigma and discrimination continue to be barriers to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, this policy may drive those infected with HIV underground and not achieve its purported goal of protecting public health.

We call on the Government and JAKIM to:

1. Utilise the existing Ministry of Health policies and services to ensure that voluntary HIV testing  be conducted under the following three principles:

• Consent – people should be tested only with their informed, voluntary and specific consent,

• Counselling – counselling should be provided before and after HIV testing, and

• Confidentiality – HIV testing should only occur when confidentiality of results can be guaranteed.

2. Make the proposed policy available for public review and comment.
3. Remove mandatory premarital HIV testing.
4. Provide HIV information and education in pre-marriage courses.
5. Draft anti-discrimination legislation to protect the rights of people living with HIV.
6. Ensure civil society and other relevant key stakeholders are consulted on any policy formulation in relation to HIV

by the Malaysian AIDS Council and Malaysian Positive Network (myPlus)

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev 21:4

Please continue to pray for our other residents, staff and myself as seeing one of us returning home how draining it is emotionally, but His grace will see us through.

To combat this epidemic, the Government has committed RM500mil to implement the National Strategic Plan on AIDS and the Harm Reduction programme between 2006 and 2010, he said at the launch of a Health Ministry and Unicef Report 2008 entitled Women and Girls Confronting HIV and AIDS in Malaysia yesterday.

The report was released in conjunction with the Special World AIDS Day 2008.

The National Strategic Plan on AIDS involves various government and non-government bodies as well as international agencies such as Unicef.

The daughter of the Sultan of Kedah, Datuk Seri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz, who launched the event, said the trend of new HIV infections occurring among women in the country had risen alarmingly from 1.2% of total new cases in 1990 to 16% in December 2007.

She said reducing the impact of HIV required that the needs and issues of women be addressed at various levels.

She said there was a need to reverse the underlying socio-economic factors that contributed to women’s HIV risks, such as gender inequality, poverty, lack of economic and educational opportunity, and the lack of legal and human rights protection.

The Star, Friday, 05/12/2008

What is more worrying is that the trend is gaining a feminine face, mainly through heterosexsual transmission.

A new report released bt the Health Ministry and United Nations Childrens’s Fund (Unicef) yesterday revealed that the trend of new HIV infections amongst women rose drastically to 16% in 2007 from 1.2% of total new cases in 1990.

“The propotion of women reported with HIV has increased dramatically in the last decade. In 1990, only one in every 86 new HIV infections was amongst women and girls,” Sultanah Bahiyah Foundation chairperson Datuk Seri Tunku Puteri Safinaz said at the lauch of the Women and Girls Confronting HIV and AIDS in Malaysia 2008 report.

However, she said, as of December 2007, it was one in six new infections.

“Shockingly, surveys show that 2006 more housewives tested HIV-positive than sex workers,” Tunku Puteri Safinaz said, adding that there are thousands of children living in homes shadowed by HIV.

The results are a cause for concern as the vulnerability of women and children to HIV are directly linked.

She said for families affected by HIV and AIDS, the disease it self does not have so much impact as it can be kept under control for many years with effective treatment.

“The biggest impact comes from stigma. Mothers whose families are affected by HIV and AIDS are most frightened by the reactions from friends, extended family, colleagues and their communities,” she said, citing the case of a shopkeeper in Kedah who refused to allow a women with HIV to enter his shop.

She said after fear of AIDS could hurt the patients more than the disease.

Stigma can cause a person to be ostracized by friends and family. It can even cause a HIV-positive husband to disallow his wife to be tested, she said.

“Stigma can cause a woman to be so ashamed that she does not seek treatment – meaning an early death and young innocent child left without a mother.”

Tunku Puteri Safinaz said it can also cause the children to be shunned by their teachers and friends because they are infected,

Unicef representative in Malaysia Youssouf Oomar said empowering and encourraging women to be leaders in any HIV response must be the strategy of the future.

“Malaysia must ensure that gender equality and empowerment of women go hand-in-hand with HIV and AIDS prevention and care programmes,” he said.

“We need to get more women involved and get them to work together to get their voices heard.”

He said the level of awareness amongst housewives in Malaysia is not enough to create consciousness.

“The fact that there are more housewives infected with HIV than sex workers is a serious cause of concern. There should be more serious education in learning institutions where students can bring home the knowledge,” he said.

By Karen Arukesamy, New Straits Time : Friday, 05/12/2008

December 1 is World AIDS Day! Sorry to inform that the AIDS pandemic has not gone away including here in Malaysia. We need to do more prevention and we need to do it soon. Meantime we need to care more about people living with HIV in our country as well as their families.

More people than ever before are living with HIV in Malaysia and new infections continue. HIV is a serious long-term condition and people living with HIV often face discrimination. Whatever your HIV status, there is a role you can play in ending HIV prejudice and stopping the spread of HIV.

World AIDS Day is an opportunity to be inspired to respect and protect the health and wellbeing of ourselves and those around us through knowledge, action and consideration. In which people living with HIV are treated as equal citizens with respect, dignity and justice, are diagnosed early and receive the highest standards of care, and in which everyone knows how and is able to protect themselves from HIV infection.

Today’s young people are tomorrow’s journalists, politicians, teachers, scientists and employers. They have a vital role to play in talking about HIV so that they can safeguard their own sexual health and help to break down stigma and discrimination around HIV.

In line with the slogan for World AIDS Day, we urge policymakers and all our leaders: “Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise”.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev 21:4

Please continue to pray for our other residents for a good recovery and respond to the HAART (HIV medications) prescribed and to help prevent illnesses and infections.

We are all here together, connected. Nothing is happening to just one of us, but affecting ALL of us!  What is happening affects us ALL! We can no longer look at others or view other places in the world where people are sick and dying and continue to neglect caring for them, without recognizing how it affects society. We cannot continue to allow millions to suffer and millions to die and expect we will not be affected. We have to make the necessary changes and care for one another.

At the XIV International AIDS Conference in 2002, Nelson Mandela in his closing speech said, “AIDS is a war against humanity”.

It is “good and pleasant” for brothers to dwell together in unity, and that where unity is, God blesses.  I am absolutely convinced that we must be tenacious about fostering unity that transcends physical appearance, social class, denominations, geography, styles of worship, and non-essential doctrinal distinctions as we express oneness.

He had everything going for him: rich, handsome and with a lovely family, he had the world at his feet.

But one fateful fortnight in Bangkok a few years ago changed all that.

On a trip with a group of friends, he had unprotected sex and contracted the deadly illness.

His condition came to light when he applied for a job in Dubai four years ago and was asked to go for a medical check-up.

But Mohsin didn’t get help.

Worst, he kept it a secret from his wife, and continued having unprotected sex with her.

It was only years later that he went to a doctor regarding the problem. Even then, he was in denial and kept insisting the results were wrong.

When the doctor asked why he had not sought help sooner, Mohsin said it was because he didn’t feel ill. “Look at me. I’m okay. I’m not thin,” he said.

But his bravado didn’t last long and he later admitted that it was fear that kept him away — the fear of hospitals, doctors and social stigma.

Sadly, this fear of doctors kept him from getting the help his body needed — help in the form of anti-retro viral drugs which would have saved his life.

He eventually died of a lung infection. His widow is now HIV-positive, too

Oct 27, 2008 at 11:39 PM

Many years ago, as a young christian I was nearly “kill” by discrimination by church members. Some church members ask our pastor to separate the communion cups as a group of ex-addicts were also attending the church. Their concern is we may “infect” the communion cups. As a young christian, I was touch by the message of God’s love, the “fervent” prayers of church member, the preaching of pastor that Jesus even reach out to the Lepers.

But is it real? During communion time I look at the cup but did not see any special marking for us. Until today I did not ask the pastor if they make any marking of the cup “expecially” for us center boy. The reason I did not ask is I do not want to get hurt anymore as many of us “ex-addict” are broken emotionally.

I thank God that I have overcome the discrimination, but many of our brothers from the center have been “kill” off by Christians.

My question is do we mean what we pray? Do we mean what we preach? Do we do what Jesus command us to do?

Oct 30, 2008 at 9:11 AM

I agree with your comments. But unfortunately life is presently such that its so. To be honest I myself may have to check if I can overcome the bias.

I saw an article about an activist in Beijing who will fight for causes in China. He somehow come across HIV problems in China and spent a few years fighting for them. Most of these HIV people got it from blood transfusion as they donate and sometime sell blood. The person describe how he struggle initially when he meet with the people. How he wants to run to wash his hands after touching them and how he has wild imaginations of virus crawling all over him.

Then he force himself to do research on AIDS and he manage to overcome the fear. Today I believe he is one of the key person fighting for HIV in China.

Individuals should not have to suffer all losses due to illness! Men, women and children are suffering with HIV/AIDS. We need to assure that these people are cared for, not discriminated against! We must provide funds for proper nutrition, housing and health care for these individuals to aid and contribute to their well-being. We need to get rid of the false perceptions and judgments. Make no reference to how individuals got AIDS. “It just doesn’t matter!” Neither does an individual’s race, religion or sexual orientation matter! Don’t look for differences; look at how we can help one another.

I do not believe it is naive to think we can make the necessary changes, but rather it is naive to think that we can continue on our current course neglecting those who suffer from poverty, illness and disease. People are judging those who are sick, disabled and poor.

Many people have nothing due to the lack of funding and the effort it has taken for them to survive through their illness. People should be entitled to the right to a quality and standard of living, which promotes wellness and healing, not death and dying. There are people dying due to the stress on an already stressed and suppressed immune system. There is added stress due to a lack of funds available to support nutritional diet and good health. Proper nutrition is necessary for HIV infected individuals, as those who eat well feel better compared to those who consume a less than adequate diet. Malnutrition can compromise their ability to fight off infection. The stress that as we are enduring while trying to maintain a home, food, and health is putting them at risk of continued health problems. This in turn means they are in greater need of medical attention! Better nutrition help people living with HIV better cope with the infection.

Help us by making good nutrition a high priority in AIDS treatment!