MAC
The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) was established in 1992 to be an umbrella organisation of local NGOs working on HIV/AIDS issues, with a special focus on key populations.
MAC has grown from 18 partner organisations largely based in and around Kuala Lumpur to more than 40 nationwide. These cover a wide range of civil society organisations including all key populations, faith based organisations, youth councils, SRH organisations and research bodies. MAC has a role which includes coordinating, capacity building and advocacy. The majority of MAC’s funding comes from the Malaysian government but it has also set up a fundraising arm, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF), which raises funds from the corporate sector and the general public.
MAC became an Alliance Linking Organisation in November 2009.
With HIV prevalence in the general pop of only 0.4%, Malaysia has a concentrated HIV epidemic which has largely been linked to unsafe injecting. Studies indicate that HIV prevalence amongst people using drugs is estimated at some 25%, amongst men who have sex with men (MSM): 4% and amongst sex workers and transsexuals: 10%. At the end of 2008, in a pop of 26 million, 84,630 people were officially registered to be living with HIV. Two-thirds of PLHIV have used drugs while the estimated number of people registered as heroin dependent was 240,000 people in 2004 with estimates of actual dependency in the population reaching up to 500,000. The majority of PLHIV are men although there has been a rapid increase on new cases among women.
There has been a steady decline in the number of new cases from 7,000 in 2002 to 5,830 in 2006. In 2006, the Malaysian government launched a five-year strategic plan to tackle HIV, which includes opiate substitution therapy and a needle & syringe exchange programme for drug users. While the political climate has opened up to Harm Reduction services, Malaysia is a conservative society with a strongly held belief in abstinence and a desire to eliminate drugs. Thus, severe drug control measures often conflict with harm reduction programmes, including raids on needle & syringe exchange hotspots.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
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MAC put AIDS on the National agenda – with strong support from national leaders
- Significantly increased funding for HIV from the Malaysian government since 2007
- Established referral system between government agencies & NGOs
- Lead role in establishing Harm Reduction/Needle & Syringe Exchange Programme
- Successful Advocacy – free first-line ART available to PLHIV since 2005
- Participated and contributed to the Malaysian government’s National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS (2006-2010)
- Successful in establishing good working relationship with religious based councils and other key stakeholders
- Successfully conducted an IBBS Surveillance Study on IDU/SW/TS
WHAT WE DO
Current MAC work
In 2008, MAC launched its 2008 – 2010 Strategic Plan, which is in line with the National Strategic Plan. MAC has 8 strategies which are derived from the NSP priorities. MAC supports its partners, through training, capacity enhancement and onward granting, to run three major types of programme; Needle & Syringe Exchange Programme, Prevention with key populations, Treatment, Care and Support. In addition, MAC advocates for an enabling environment and tackles the issue of stigma and discrimination.
NSEP
In 2005 MAC collaborated with the Ministry of Health to pilot the Needle & Syringe Exchange programme. In 2006, this programme was scaled up and by 2009 there were 12 sites serving 18,000 (10%) people using drugs and some 70% of MAC’s funding is dedicated to the NSEP. In the majority of sites the partner organisations provide needle and syringe packs through outreach teams of peer workers (former drug users). There are three Drop In Centres which offer basic medical care, referral to Methadone or Rehab, referral to HIV related services, and provide a safe space for users as well as food and personal hygiene and washing facilities.
SW/TS & MSM Prevention Programmes
In 2009 outreach programmes reached 4,151of the remaining key populations. In addition to information , these teams distributed condoms in venues frequented by target key populations
Treatment , Care and Support
MAC’s partners manage 17 shelter homes for 663 PLHIV who are homeless /abandoned. They targeted over 5,000 PLHIV with HBC and/or peer support.
FUTURE PLANS
MORE HARM REDUCTION & PREVENTION ACTIVITIES
MAC ideally would like to scale up the harm reduction programme as well as all its prevention activities with key populations; however it is limited by insufficient funding. The GF R10 application will thus focus on harm reduction as it is the priority for the country. In addition, there are plans to introduce a TB programme in prisons.