KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 9,309 people have started Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment from January 2023 up to June this year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry aimed to strengthen HIV/AIDS prevention treatment programmes, including through PrEP.
“PrEP treatment is provided for spouses of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and at-risk individuals.
“PrEP can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity by about 99 per cent when taken as prescribed.
“PrEP services have been available in 35 health clinics since January 2023, with 9,309 individuals starting treatment as of June,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
He said the government is also expanding coverage of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment among PLHIV and ensuring adherence to prescribed regimens to enable them to live normal lives.
In 2024, he said 50,694 PLHIV received ARV treatment, an increase of 3.8 per cent compared with 2023 (48,765 people).
Dzulkefly said the ministry is also enhancing HIV/AIDS literacy and awareness among the public, especially youths and adolescents.
He said the PROSTAR 2.0 programme is one initiative aimed at improving resilience and awareness among youths regarding HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), emphasising the biopsychosocial-spirituality aspects.
“As of June 2025, a total of 592 PROSTAR 2.0 activities involving 55,241 students from schools and higher learning institutions have been carried out, showing a 26 per cent increase in knowledge,” he said.
The ministry, he said, also launched the HIV Self-Test and TestNow website in December 2023, which provides information on HIV, risk assessments, and access to self-test kits.
As of June 2025, the website recorded 188,425 visitors, averaging 324 visitors daily, with 13.4 per cent categorised as high-risk for HIV.
He said the ministry is also expanding Differentiated HIV Services for Key Populations under the KK 2.0 Model in 33 health clinics, through smart partnerships between government and NGOs, to improve HIV service delivery particularly to key populations.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Ahmad Saad @ Yahaya (PN-Pokok Sena) on the government’s actions in addressing the rise of men who have sex with men (MSM), which has been the main driver of HIV infections in the country over the past decade.
Dzulkefly said addressing MSM cases requires a holistic collaboration involving multiple parties, including government agencies, the private sector, and corporations.
“Parents also play an important role in monitoring their children’s activities, such as preventing them from misusing mass media by accessing pornographic websites,” he said.
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