Kota Kinabalu: Non-Governmental Organisation Sabah AIDS Awareness Group Association (Saga) founded by Dr Zaiton Yahya, has been helping poor rural folk in parts of Sabah get their HIV treatment.
Saga was established in 2007 and the NGO later introduced Shape (Sabah Health Access Programme) in 2018 where it mainly operates in Sandakan and also covers other areas in Sabah such as Tawau, Semporna, Lahad Datu and Kunak.
Shape provides travel subsidies based on patients’ location to healthcare facilities and logistical costs to help patients from rural Sandakan to get access to clinics.
Since its inception, about 600 beneficiaries from B40 communities have benefitted from the mission of the programme with 146 out of the total beneficiaries being HIV-patients.
Some of Shape’s partner hospitals and clinics include Sandakan’s Duchess of Kent Hospital, Klinik Kesihatan Sandakan, Klinik Kesihatan Kubota Tawau and Hospital Semporna.
The treatment includes prescribing oral medication, Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) to patients and to call them to attend their check-ups.
Speaking to Malay Mail, Dr Zaiton noted that a total of 150 HIV-patients from Sabah including Sandakan have benefited from Shape’s programme till date.
“Most of the HIV patients are all taking the first-line ART and we need to make sure that they would often go for check-ups or take their medication on time.
“My nurse and I also need to make sure that patients take their medications regularly - so my nurse would often call and check on them and would also visit their homes.
“Our main hope is to offer them a second chance to get better through medications,” she said.
As for the future of Shape, Dr Zaiton hoped that when there is more manpower, her team and her can reach out to HIV-infected patients in other districts of Sabah.
“There are some districts in Sabah (excluding town areas) that are still rural - and we hope to help more people in these areas one day,” she said.
Dr Zaiton, who bagged the prestigious Malaysian AIDS Foundation Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award 2021 for her contribution to AIDS and HIV also said that grants from Yayasan Petronas and Malaysian Aviation Group (MAG) were crucial so that travel allowance and medication can be given to patients.
MAG is also the latest member of the Malaysian Business Consortium on HIV/AIDS — a coalition of Malaysian companies dedicated to eradicate AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in workplace.
Among the other diseases that SHAPE also assists other patients such as those with thalassemia, children with malnutrition, and those who are having renal failures.
