BENTONG, Dec 1 — The Pahang Health Department is targeting to get 90 per cent of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) to receive Anti-Retroviral (ARV) treatment by 2021, said its director, Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman.

So far, only 60 per cent of the 6,762 PLHIV in the state had come forward for the treatment, he told reporters at the launch of the 2019 Bentong Koi Nak Sihat — Lain Weh! carnival and the World AIDS Day celebration by the Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min at Bentong Hospital here today.

He called for cooperation from all quarters to help the department to achieve the target.

He said most of the HIV patients in Pahang are in Kuantan and Temerloh and they are between the age of 20 and 49, with 85 per cent of them are men.

In previous years,HIV infection is mostly due to sharing of needles and syringes due to injections, but now, the main cause of HIV infection is sexual relationship, he added.

Earlier in his speech, Dr Sha’ari said the government, through the 2030 National Strategic Plan for Eliminating AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is targeting to get three zeros, namely Zero new infection, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS related deaths.

The government aims that by 2030, 95 per cent of at risk population are tested for HIV; 95 per cent of PLHIV getting Anti-Retroviral Therapy and 95 per cent of these who began treatment achieved viral suppression, he added. — Bernama