Selangor Mufti Department's advisory on PrEP is misleading

SHAH ALAM - The Selangor Mufti Department's advisory on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is misinformed and misleading.

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said the advisory is akin to misinformation and will most likely mislead the public.

"Denying or providing selective access to PrEP is bad medicine, poor practice and has no basis in public health.

"This is a proven treatment which has about a 99 percent rate of effectively preventing HIV infection. We know it works.

"The evidence and data which demonstrates this is not only derived from experiences and studies in countries around the world, it is based on a research conducted here in Malaysia," he said in a statement

Azrul was commenting on the Selangor Mufti Department's move in prohibiting the administration of PrEP medication which is used to prevent HIV infections in homosexual couples.

The department was of the stand that the consumption and distribution of the medication is only required for married couples.

Azrul added that PrEP has been available in Malaysis since 2017, however it is limited to a small number of public and private clinics.

"In fact, the role and use of PrEP has been integrated into the Malaysian government's key policy document on HIV or AIDS, the National Strategic Plan for Ending AIDS 2016–2030. It is time to make PrEP more widely available."

"Providing access to PrEP to those who need it, without discrimination, is key to ensuring that the treatment does what it is supposed to do, reduce the number of people newly infected with HIV.

"For almost twenty years, the Ministry of Health has taken a pragmatic, compassionate and far-reaching approach to HIV prevention by adopting the harm reduction programme, which involves exchanging needles and syringes, and providing opioid substitution therapy.

"We know what works and has impact, and what does not. We need to be guided by the science, patient centred care, and the experiences of the people and communities who need such services," Azrul emphasized.

Azrul suggested then suggested for the Selangor Mufti Department to review its published position on the issue and consult with Malaysia's infectious diseases and public health experts to improve their understanding on the matter.