KUCHING: Sarawak records more than 1,000 deaths due to HIV/AIDS every year, while many more suffer from sexually transmitted disease, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kota Sentosa branch deputy youth chairman Wilfred Yap.

Despite the death toll, he said, many remain complacent, thinking that the deadly disease would not affect them and their loved ones.

“Community awareness on HIV/AIDS is still low in spite of the fact that HIV patients die each year and there are as many as 500 people receiving treatment at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH),” Yap said during a press conference at the branch office yesterday on an upcoming HIV/AIDS public awareness exhibition and talk.

Yap, who is also organising chairman, stressed that Sarawakians must not regard HIV/AIDS as an “old issue” particularly with attention on the Influenza A(H1N1) virus – which there has been no confirmed case of in the state.

“HIV/AIDS problems have long prevailed and people here do not seem to show concern about this. The focus now is all on the swine flu cases, which aren’t really life-threatening here.

“But take a look at how many are suffering from HIV/AIDS, which kills more than 1,000 people in Sarawak alone annually,” he said.

The exhibition and talk, he said, are to enhance public awareness on the disease with a focus on youths aged between 18 and 24, to enlighten them on the implications of HIV/AIDS.

“We want to reach out to as many people as possible. If we can save one life, we will do it and it is enough. More importantly, parents must encourage children to come for the exhibition.

“It does not take them a lot of time, maybe just five minutes to go through 27 pieces of posters showing them how HIV/AIDS could badly affect their lives,” said Yap.

During the press conference, Yap said HIV/AIDS was undermining the rights and well-being of families around the world with many of them suffering intense psychosocial and economic distress.

“According to UNICEF Malaysia, 15 million children in the world have lost their fathers and or mothers because of HIV/AIDS,” he said. By 2025, 25 million children are expected to be missing one or both of their parents because of HIV/AIDS.

In view of this estimate, Yap felt that Sarawak would not be spared the dangers of HIV/AIDS and thus concerted efforts must be made to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng is expected to open the two-day exhibition and talk at the lobby of Boulevard Shopping Mall at 2pm tomorrow.

There will also be three lucky draws tomorrow.

of RM100 each, while on Sunday two lucky visitors will receive a Nokia 5220 handphone and RM200.