75% of those infected in 2024 were between the ages of 20 to 39, says Dzulkefly

Young adults made up the majo­rity of new HIV cases reported in Malaysia last year, with 75% involving those aged between 20 and 39, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic).

He said the pattern of HIV transmission in the country has changed significantly over the years – shifting from infections caused by sharing drug needles to those spread through sexual contact.

“In 2024, sexual transmission accounted for 96% of all HIV cases. Of these, 64% involved homosexual or bisexual contact, while 32% were heterosexual,” he said in a written reply to Tan Kok Wai (PH-Cheras).

Dzulkefly said a total of 3,185 new HIV cases were reported in 2024, with a notification rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people. Most of the cases involved men, who made up 90% of the total, while women accounted for 10%.

“This shows some change compared to the 1990s, when almost all cases involved men (99%) and only 1% were women,” he added.

The overall number of new HIV and AIDS cases in Malaysia dropped by 50% between 2000 and 2009. However, the decline has slowed in recent years, with only a 27% decrease recorded from 2010 to 2024.

On a separate matter, Dzulkefly said between 2022 and 2024, a total of 705 medical officers and 1,394 nurses resigned after ser­ving for more than five years.

He added the primary reasons for these resignations include pur­suing opportunities in the private sector or statutory bodies, as well as personal and health-rela­ted issues.

Despite these departures, the Health Ministry appointed 12,761 new medical officers and 5,396 nurses within the same period to fill permanent positions.

To retain talent and mitigate the outflow of experienced health­care personnel, the ministry has implemented several initiatives. These include exemptions from interim contract appointments for nurses by central agencies for the years 2023 and 2024, with the potential for permanent appointments in 2025.

In a written reply to Tan Kar Hing (PH-Gopeng), Dzulkefly said that shift hours for medical offi­cers in emergency departments and ward nurses have been redu­ced from 45 to 42 hours per week.

The ministry has also introduced specific allowances and incentives, such as the Locum Allowance, Specialist Incentive Payment, Post-Basic Allowance, and Location and Hardship Incen­tives. Moreover, incentive payments are offered to pre-gazettement medical officers undergoing supervised work experience (SWE) in recognition of their workload and specialist commitments.

Faster career progression is another focus, with time-based promotions from Grade UD9 to UD14 achievable within nine to 12 years for medical officers.

Paramedics are also eligible for Time-Based Excellence (TBK 1 and TBK 2) promotions after 13 years of service.