M'sian AIDS Council: Stop stigmatising those living with HIV | Borneo Post Online

KUCHING (Dec 9): The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) is calling upon political leaders, policymakers, public commentators and media practitioners to avoid framing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in ways that stigmatise individuals or communities.

The council, in a statement, called for a renewed focus on the broader national objective, namely ending AIDS in Malaysia by 2030 as outlined in the Ministry of Health (MoH)'s 'National Strategic Plan to End AIDS'.

"The integrity of Malaysia's public health achievements and our ambition to realise an AIDS-free generation depends on maintaining an environment where people feel safe to access prevention, testing and treatment services without fear of reprisal," it said.

The statement was issued in response to what the council described as the 'increasingly hostile tone' emerging in recent public discussions relating to HIV and AIDS.

MAC said such narratives, often shaped by misinformation, fear and stigma, could risk reinforcing harmful stereotypes about communities disproportionately affected by HIV.

Highlighting a crucial scientific fact, it said 'Undetectable = Untransmissible (U=U)' means when a person living with HIV receives timely and effective anti-retroviral treatment, the person's viral load can be suppressed to an undetectable level.

"At this stage, HIV cannot be sexually transmitted to another person. This is a cornerstone of modern HIV prevention and should guide a more informed public understanding around HIV transmission risks.

"Using an individual's HIV status, their medical treatment or the use of prevention tools such as condoms or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as grounds for insinuation, intimidation or prosecution is not only unethical but detrimental to public health," it said.

"Such practices discourage people from seeking testing and treatment, placing both individuals and the wider community at greater risk."

According to the MAC, Malaysia has made remarkable progress in the national HIV res