TemanTeman.org Launch Press Conference

Diana, Carmen get tested for HIV/AIDS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25, 2014: Actress and model Diana Danielle and Carmen Soo had themselves tested for HIV/AIDS today when they threw their weight behind a new initiative to arrest the “alarming” growth in the number of such cases in Malaysia.

Diana said she was inspired to help promote TemanTeman.org as she believed it represented an important resource center for HIV/AIDS in the country.

“When I was studying scriptwriting in Australia, I read a book about one of the first persons to contract HIV. It gave me a very personal insight into the life, struggles and insecurities of HIV patients. Because of that I feel I have a duty to speak out and raise awareness about HIV and the recent scientific breakthroughs.

“There are many things people don't know about the disease, and we need to share that living with HIV is not the end of a normal life, she said.

Carmen felt TemanTeman.org's goal of spreading awareness to get the public tested is important as many people did not even know they were HIV positive.

“When I met the team of TemanTeman.org, I was appalled that I knew little about HIV/AIDS, especially when I consider myself a well-read person. So I decided to be proactive and help them spread this awareness,” she said.

She also said she knew of an acquaintance who is HIV positive and had previously visited some homes of protected women, some of whom and their children were HIV positive. “It’s a reality check, and a scary thing to see, really,” said Carmen.

Adding to this, Diana said most people in Malaysia would not want to share such information due to the stigma attached to the disease. Hence, she said she will blog, tweet and even facebook her involvement to spread awareness on the dangers of HIV/AIDS “because it expresses my serious commitment to the campaign”.

Both Diana and Carmen said their ultimate objective of getting involved was to spread the word among their friends and fans so that they can help reduce the rate of HIV infection in Malaysia. And besides, its costs nothing to do so but brings lots of benefits.

Diana encouraged Malaysians, especially youths aged between 20 and 30 years to undergo a HIV test. “You owe it to yourself to know if you are HIV positive …  It's not so that people can seclude you from society. Rather it empowers you to take responsibility so that you do not infect others,” she said.

Carmen said with her involvement, she hoped to influence her fans will undergo the HIV test and take precautions if found to be positive. “That would be the responsible thing to do,” she said.

Echoing her views, Diana added that early detection is one of the best ways to treat any disease. “HIV is no exception, and especially so as it’s still a disease with no cure. Getting tested and living a responsible and healthy life is paramount to prevent the spread of HIV. Let’s help our society to be a healthier one.”

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Organized by:
Purple Haze Asia
University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Department of Infectious Diseases
Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA)

 
Project Created by:
Purple Haze Asia

Official Sponsors
ViiV Healthcare
amfAR - the Foundation for AIDS Research
TREAT Asia (Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia)
Official PR Partner:
essence Burson-Marsteller
Official Photographer:
Bustamam Mokhtar

For further inquiries, please contact:
TemanTeman.org

Resource centre launched to arrest ‘alarming’ rise in HIV / AIDS

•    AIDS-related deaths rise 20% in Malaysia since 2005 despite declining nearly 40% in Asia-Pacific during the same period.
•    Total number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) is expected to increase to 91,733 in 2015

KUALA LUMPUR. Nov 25, 2014: A one stop resource center, TemanTeman.org, was officially launched here today, to provide information and help arrest the “alarming” spread of HIV and AIDS in Malaysia.

Hosted at www.TemanTeman.org, it brings together Malaysian HIV/AIDS experts and pioneers as well as celebrities through a unique online interactive campaign that leverages on social media networks to amplify and promote information on the treatment, care and support for those at risk. It also serves to debunk myths on HIV/AIDS in Malaysia.

A community project, it was created by Purple Haze Asia, organized by the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (TRCARC) and funded by ViiV Healthcare and the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

The project is supported by University Malaya Medical Centre’s (UMMC) Department of Infectious Diseases and the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA).
   
TemanTeman.org Project Director, Tarandeep Anand, said the resource centre, which was previously launched in Indonesia in January 2013, is a source of comprehensive information on sexually transmitted diseases (STIs).

“TemanTeman.org offers transparent information about the tests, HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, as well as the treatment and care services available in Malaysia. Our objective is to increase awareness on the importance of early, routine and voluntary HIV testing to keep healthy,” Anand said.

Prof Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Prof of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at University Malaya said:

"Our experience at the UMMC shows that a significant number of HIV infected patients are unaware of their infection prior to experiencing symptomatic diseases.
“Additionally our research at CERiA which focuses on marginalized communities such as people who use drugs, Men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers also show that regular HIV testing in this key affected population is uncommon."
The Ministry of Health (MoH) estimates that the HIV rate among key populations is 12%, and according to UNAIDS, while AIDS-related deaths have declined by nearly 40% in the Asia-Pacific region since 2005, they have increased by 20% in Malaysia.

And this May, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya described as “alarming”,
the increase in the number of youths aged between 20 and 30 who were diagnosed with HIV.
In 2013, there were 3,393 HIV cases reported in Malaysia – an average of nine cases per day – while there were an estimated 86,324 people living with HIV (PLHIV) which is about 0.44% of the total population.

That same year, the country had reported a cumulative 101,672 HIV cases, 20,235 AIDS cases and 16,340 deaths related to HIV/AIDS, thus giving a reported PLHIV of 85,332. The total number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) is expected to increase to 91,733 in 2015.

Males continue to represent the majority (78.5%) of cumulative HIV cases in Malaysia. In 2013, amongst men, 21.5% acquired infection via injecting drug use and 73.6% through sexual mode. Most HIV infections among women occurred mainly through heterosexual transmission (51.4%)

In conjunction with its launch in Malaysia, TemanTeman.org plans to organize a HIV/AIDS awareness photographic exhibition at a public mall featuring high-profile Malaysian celebrities such as Diana Danielle and Carmen Soo. There will also be HIV testing events, the details of which will be finalized soon.

www.TemanTeman.org offers virtual tours for clients and patients on how to access HIV treatment in Malaysia at tertiary referral hospitals like Infectious Diseases Unit at UMMC, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Hospital Pulau Pinang and Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru.

-End-



Organized by:
The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand
University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Department of Infectious Diseases
Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA)

 
Project Created by:
Purple Haze Asia

Official Sponsors
ViiV Healthcare
amfAR - the Foundation for AIDS Research
TREAT Asia (Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia)
Official PR Partner:
essence Burson-Marsteller



Official Photographer:
Bustamam Mokhtar
For further inquiries, please contact:
TemanTeman.org
Mr. Tarandeep Anand
Email: tarandeepsinghanand@gmail.com

Ms. Chattiya Nitpolprasert (Kate)
Telp: +66 8 9908 9908
Email: chattiya.kate@gmail.com
essence Burson-Marsteller
Kevin Tan / Farzli Fahmi
Telp: +60 3 7493 5588
Email: kevin.tan@my-essence.com
Email: farzli@my-essence.com