Condolences

Our condolences to the family of our resident, Chok who went home to his Lord on the morning of 13 Dec 2008. Yet we are comforted that he had gone home to be with his God in a far better place.

“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.

Malaysia may have 300,000 people affected by HIV by 2015, said Datuk Dr. Hassan Abdul Rahman, the Director of the Disease Control Divison of the Health Ministry.

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

With an average of 12 Malaysians testing positive for HIV each day, Malaysia has one of the fastest growing AIDS epidemics in the East Asia and Pasific region.

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

“Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise”

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”.

Our condolences to the family of Yeoh who went home to his Lord this morning – 19/11. Yet we are comforted that he had gone home to be with his God in a far better place.

“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.

A call for action is necessary. We need to assure that individuals living with HIV/AIDS are cared for, not discriminated against!

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.

KUALA LUMPUR: For Mohsin (not his real name), contracting AIDS was literally a death sentence.

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

Some of the comments we received on “Stigma, discrimination and ostracism are the real killer”

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.

People living with illness are no different from anyone else, except for their disease. Prior to this, they were hard working people, contributing to society. Once sick, they are expected to do without and not have those things they had in their life before sickness! Why do we allow this?

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!

Respon Majlis AIDS Malaysia berkaitan Kenyataan Akhbar oleh JAKIM (6 Oktober 2008)