Yesterday I paid a visit to Sarawak General Hospital(SGH) to officiate an Awareness Programme for Youth on issue of HIV/AIDS in our community organised by the Ahli Lembaga Pelawat Hospital(ALPH) SGH
Such program is important to raise awareness among youth on the importance of this subject, including preventive steps, access to screening and treatment and building a supportive environment for them.
In Sarawak, we face significant challenges. According to the Sarawak State Health Department, there were over 3,000 people living with HIV in Sarawak as of the latest data. The number of new infections reported each year is alarming, with around 200 new cases annually. This is not just about numbers; it is about real people—our friends, our family members, our colleagues, and our neighbors.
The fight against HIV/AIDS in Sarawak involves breaking the stigma, promoting prevention, and ensuring access to treatment for all. Stigma and discrimination continue to be among the biggest obstacles here. They prevent people from getting tested, from disclosing their status, and from seeking the care they need. We must foster an environment where everyone feels safe and supported, regardless of their HIV status.
Prevention is another critical aspect of our battle. This includes comprehensive sex education, access to contraception , and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Initiatives aimed at reaching young people, key populations, and rural communities are essential. In Sarawak, where many communities are geographically isolated, innovative approaches are needed to ensure that prevention efforts reach everyone.
In this event I also announced the allocation of RM 100k to the ALPH for it to be used in SGH for upgrades of the furniture in the hospital, purchasing of more equipment for the wards including the Infectious Disease Ward and Respiratory Ward and also to but new equipment for the hospital kitchen to upgrade their cooking equipment so that they can cook in a better environment for more than 4000 patients everyday in the hospital.
I hope such contributions will help build a better environment for the medical workers and patients in the hospital.