About 72 percent of the 87,710 people with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia are Muslims, according to a study by the Malaysian AIDS Council and reported by Malay Mail Online.

As a result, the council plans to emphasize participation and awareness among Muslims during World AIDS Day, said Datuk Zaman Khan, vice president of the council.

According to the article, the council is also concerned about the high rate of HIV among women, which is now at 20 percent compared with 9.5 percent in 2000.

A report by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS estimates that nine Malaysians contract the virus every day.