Big drop in number of HIV/AIDS cases

New cases of HIV and AIDS soared in 2008 but dropped drastically this year, possibly due to the decline in the number of immigrants landing in Malta, according to health director general Ray Busuttil

The majority of the 36 people diagnosed with this immunodeficiency virus in 2008 were foreign, Dr Busuttil said on the occasion of World AIDS Day on Tuesday. By contrast, this year there was just one case of AIDS diagnosed and 11 cases of HIV.

The figures were released just weeks after the much-awaited National Sexual Health Policy was left out of the 2010 Budget, and days after Malta was rapped on the knuckles by World Health Organisation adviser John Richens who said the island was burying its head in the sand on sexual health.

Dr Richens, who was in Malta recently on the invitation of the health authorities, was baffled that he was not given a copy of the policy - a third version was finalised recently - that has been 10 years in the making.

When asked why this strategy was withheld from the WHO adviser, Dr Busuttil said it was not government policy to give foreign consultants a copy of a document that was still confidential.

Dr Busuttil again refrained from commenting when asked whether it was high time to adopt the policy in the light of the problem of HIV/AIDS and rising incidence of sexually transmitted infections, saying he had nothing to add to what Social Policy Minister John Dalli had already said.

Mr Dalli had said the third and latest version of the policy "had to be included" in the 2010 Budget and he had no idea why it did not make it.

Meanwhile, speaking to students at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, Dr Busuttil said five of the six people with AIDS and 10 of the 30 diagnosed with HIV last year were migrants from Sub-Saharan countries.

Dr Busuttil said Malta did not screen all migrants who arrived in Malta: "It is not our policy to screen either our population or irregular migrants." Another 11 people diagnosed with HIV last year were foreigners who did the test in Malta. One person diagnosed with AIDS and nine who were HIV-positive were Maltese.

There were some 150 people living with HIV/AIDS in Malta and the numbers were increasing since people were living longer because of better treatment. He said a substantial number of migrants diagnosed with HIV/AIDS were pregnant women. Proper treatment during pregnancy reduced the risk of the child being born HIV-positive.

This system has worked no migrant baby was born HIV-positive when their mothers were treated for the disease.

Dr Busuttil urged students not to take risks and avoid having multiple partners. He said those who chose risky behaviour were "playing with fire and could get burnt".

Although the risk could never be completely eliminated, at least those who adopted risky behaviour should protect themselves by using condoms.

"It you drive a motorbike, you use a helmet and, similarly, if you have sex you should use a condom," he said, taking a quote from the Health Promotion Department's campaign for World AIDS Day.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department head Charmaine Gauci also highlighted the risks of other STIs. She said many infertility problems stemmed from STIs which had not been treated.

"Remember that HIV and STIs can be silent and people who are not showing symptoms can still transmit infections," she told the students.