KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 10 more public clinics will start dispensing HIV prevention drugs by this year as the medicine has been proven to be effective, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

       The Health Minister said that since the pilot programme for free Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) was launched last year, a drop in the number of syphilis infections has been observed.

       There were a total of 3,451 individuals who have received the harm-reduction treatment as of January, he added.

       “According to the early analysis of the pilot project, there has been a reduction in the rate of syphilis infection, from 11% to 6.5% after six months of consuming PrEP and to 1.3% after a 12-month regime.

       “The percentage of the (PrEP) clients who started using condoms have also increased to 38.6% and 44% within six and 12 months, respectively,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (March 20).

       Dr Dzulkefly was responding to a question by Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) who had asked the ministry to state the latest status of the pilot project regarding the use of the PrEP among high risk groups, while considering the absence of a decision from the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) or the National Fatwa Committee (NFC).

       Dr Dzulkefly said his ministry has always been proactively engaging religious authorities such as the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the national and state fatwa councils over the matter.

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       Citing the decision made by the Perlis fatwa committee last July, Dr Dzulkefly said it was permitted as the benefits outweighed the risks.

       “While we don’t recognise LGBT practices, the ministry’s priority is to protect the lives (of the people) and the Perlis fatwa committee has made that decision (fittingly).

       “We take this approach with responsibility and are evidence-based,” he added.

       Currently, free prescriptions of PrEP are available at 21 public clinics nationwide.

       The cost of the drugs under the pilot programme is sponsored by the Malaysian Aids Council.