THE RATE OF DEATHS AND HIV CASES IN MALAYSIA

HIV is a special type of known as a retrovirus.Retroviruses spread by breaking down the DNA in our cells and than reassembling it to makes copies of themselves.Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS) is a term that is used to describe the latter stages of HIV.When the immune system has stopped working and the person develops a life-threatening condition,such as pneumonia (infection of lung).

According to June 2007 statistics from the Ministry of Health (MOH) is 78784 people have tested HIV-positive in Malaysia since 1986 while 10909 people have died of AIDS.The MOH stastistic reveal an average of 16 people tested HIV-positive each day in2006.The main mode of HIV transmission in Malaysia by injecting drug users mainly male who make up about 73% of all cases of HIV and AIDS.The proportion of women reported with HIV has increased dramatically in 1990.Women made up 1% of new reported infections that year,while in 1996,only 4% of new reported infections were amongst women and girls.The number tripled by end 2006 where women accounted for 15% of new reported infections more housewives are testing HIV-positive than sex workers in Malaysia.The rate is between four to five times more than sex workers.

According to the MOH December 2006 stastistics,children below the age of 13 made up for 0.92% of total reported cases.Young people in MalAysia,like in most parts of the world,account for an increasing number of HIV infections every year.According to MOH December 2006 stastistic 27837 (36.44%) are amongst those aged between 13-29 years old.Most people who reported HIV-positive before the age of 30 were in all likelihood infected in their twenties and sometimes even during their teens due the length of time for opportunistic infections to occur.

CASES OF HIV INFECTION MALAYSIA ACCORDING TO YEARS
· 1986 (1 case)
· 1987 (14 cases)
· 1988 (20 cases)
· 1989 (200 cases)
· 1990 (800 cases)
· 1991 (1700 cases)
· 1992 (2500 cases)
· 1993 (2500 cases)
· 1994 (3400 cases)
· 1995 (4200 cases)
· 1996 (4700 cases)
· 1997 (3900 cases)
· 1998 (4700 cases)
· 1999 (4700 cases)
· 2000 (5700 cases)
· 2001 (5980 cases)
· 2002 (7000 cases)
· 2003 (6800 cases)
· 2004 (6600 cases)
· 2005 (6100 cases)
· 2006 (5900 cases)

BABA AND NYONYA'S CULTURE

The origin of baba and nyonya can be found back to centuries go when the chinese emigrated from china to the British Straits settlement of Malacca,Singapore,Penang and also Java.The Chinese emigrated married the local and form a unique Baba Nyonya community.In Malaysia,most of them live in Malacca.

Peranakan in Malay means descendent."Baba" refers to the male while "Nyonya" refers to the female.They were also known as "Straits-born Chinese".Baba Nyonya's culture is very unique because the Chinese culture is asssimilated into Malay custom.During the ancient time,they retained some practices of Chinese culture but at the same time,they were adapted local Malay traditions in order to minimize the culture shock.

As we know,the most famous Baba Nyonya's cloth is "Kebaya Nyonya".This kebaya are wear with "batik sarung"(Batik wrap-around skirt) and "kerongsang"(brooch).And the most important outfit is,"Kasut Manek",a hand-made beaded slipper.Talk about their food,Chicken Kapitan(a dry chicken curry),"Ayam Buah Keluak","Inchi Kabin"(Nyonya version fried chicken),"Pindang Bandeng"(a kind of fish-soup that usually served in Indonesia during Chinese New Year) and various mouth-watering sweet delicious that come to our mind.Baba Nyonya's food also have a good smell and strong-flavoured spices from Malay and Chinese style in food preparing.

The Peranakan use Baba Malay it is a dialet of the Malay language but contain many Hokkien words.Nowaday,English replace the languages as the main language spoken among the younger generation.