Brunei recorded the highest number of new HIV cases in 2015 with 28 reported cases, local press reported on Monday.

Out of the 28 cases, seven were women, said Iswandy Ahmad, president of Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council (BDAC), citing statistics from Brunei's Ministry of Health.

"The increase in number of cases involving women represents a worrying trend as women represented only a very small minority of HIV cases in previous years," Ahmad was quoted as saying.

A total of 38 new HIV cases were reported from 2012 to 2014, reports said.

Iswandy said based on the council's observation, the rise in number of HIV cases was due to greater awareness about HIV among people and more people engaging in "risky behaviours."

He said the council is concerned with the marked increase in the number of cases and believed that efforts spearheaded by the Ministry of Health to address this issue should have greater support from collaboration with other government agencies.

Efforts should focus on increasing awareness and education on prevention of HIV and sexually-transmitted infections, particularly among most at-risk groups, including youth and men who have sex with men.

"In this regard, BDAC believes that the introduction of comprehensive reproductive education in schools will play a big role in reducing the number of HIV cases in the long run," he said. Enditem

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