KUALA LUMPUR: Analysis on findings from Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) trials will be conducted early next year, the Dewan Negara heard today.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the data gathered under PrEPGov2023 conducted at 18 government health clinics would be studied in learning its health impact on HIV prevention and behavioural change among risk groups.
"According to preliminary analysis in the six months of usage, it was found that there was a drop in Syphilis infections from 14 to 6 per cent, clients that did not use condom from 14.9 per cent to 1.7 per cent (and) clients who have multiple sexual partners from 39.7 to 7.3 per cent.
"There were 22 clients who had stopped using PrEP as they no longer engage in risky sexual activities," he said in reply to a question from Senator Datuk Husain Awang.
Lukanisman said three HIV positive cases or 0.09 per cent were detected as the users did not comply with treatments, which he said was relatively low compared to countries that had started PrEP earlier.
He said the pilot project, which started in January this year, would end on Dec 31.
He said the ministry was also actively engaging personnel from religious bodies at the federal and state levels.
"We found that there was an increase in awareness of PrEP that could change the behaviour of participants, who had also undergone counselling sessions.
"Hence, we feel that it is unreasonable to stop offering the medicine to risk groups as it would further expose them to HIV infection and we fear that it would be widespread (in the population)," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Husain.
More importantly, Lukanisman said, awareness must be instilled among individuals in risk groups especially those engaging same gender sex, as well as youths.
He said the ministry was working on a digitalisation process that would allow risk clients to get HIV screening kits and literacy to commence at an earlier stage.
This was based on data that had shown a rise in youths aged 18 to 24 engaging in sexual activities, he said.
"We will also work with the Education Ministry, Higher Education Ministry and Human Resources Ministry on awareness of HIV and its screening," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Senator Lingeshwaran R. Arunasalam.