A total of 3,185 new HIV cases were recorded in 2024 — a slight decrease compared to 3,222 cases in 2023, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said overall, new HIV infections in Malaysia have dropped by 54% between 2002 and 2024. “Last year, 3,185 new HIV cases were reported, showing a small decline compared to 2023. Of these, 2,037 cases were linked to homosexual or bisexual transmission, marking a 2% increase from 1,995 cases the year before,” he said in a written parliamentary reply published on the Parliament website yesterday.
Dr Dzulkefly was responding to a question from Zulkifli Ismail (PN–Jasin), who had asked for the latest HIV statistics and comparisons from previous years, particularly among the LGBTQ community and drug users.
He added that HIV infections caused by contaminated needle sharing among drug users have significantly dropped since the implementation of the Harm Reduction Programme in 2005/2006. “Cases of HIV infection due to needle sharing fell from 66% (4,038 cases) in 2005 to 2.7% (87 cases) in 2023, and further to 2.4% (77 cases) in 2024,” he said.
