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"Reality check"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(07/12/05)
WHILE bird flu has triggered fears of an impending epidemic, the existing
HIV/AIDS pandemic is still the most dangerous mass killer there is. The
latest numbers of those infected with, have died from and are affected by
HIV/AIDS are alarming. Below are just a few facts:
l Worldwide, 510,000 children under the age of 15 died of AIDS-related
illnesses and 640,000 were infected last year.
l Last year, 6,427 Malaysians were infected with HIV. The present total of
1,065 Malaysians who died of AIDS-related illnesses has increased more than
10-fold from 10 years ago (80).
l In Malaysia, the last recorded total of orphaned children since 1986 was
14,000 in 2002. If prevention measures are not effective for the current
generation, at the present rate the Malaysian total number of children
losing parents to HIV/AIDS could go up to 36,000 by 2010.
* All statistics from the Health Ministry, Unicef Malaysia and Malaysian
AIDS Council.
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