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Government brought in 8,800 HIV positive foreigners talents to infect Singaporeans since 2013

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HIV data leak: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez




SingaporeHIV data leak: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
File photo of blood being drawn during an HIV test. (Photo: AFP)
By Afifah Darke
28 Jan 2019 07:44PM(Updated: 28 Jan 2019 09:39PM)
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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Jan 28) announced that the HIV-positive status and personal information of 14,200 people from Singapore’s HIV registry were leaked online by US citizen Mikhy Farrera Brochez, who had previously worked here as a lecturer in two polytechnics.
READ: HIV-positive status of 14,200 people leaked online

Brochez, who was deported in April last year, was jailed in 2016 for lying about his HIV status to gain an employment pass.
The 32-year-old, who was also convicted of fraud and drug-related offences, was sentenced to 28 months’ jail.
Here’s what we know about him:
HOW DID BROCHEZ LEAK THE INFORMATION?

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Brochez was the romantic partner of Ler Teck Siang, a male Singaporean doctor who was the former head of the National Public Health Unit at the Ministry of Health (MOH) between March 2012 and May 2013.
According to court documents, the couple started living together in Singapore in 2008. They got married in New York City on Apr 24, 2014.
READ: Ex-lecturer charged with lying about HIV status for Employment Pass
As head of MOH's National Public Health Unit, Ler had authority to access information in the HIV Registry as required for his work, said MOH.
Ler, who resigned in January 2014, is believed to have mishandled the information and is suspected of not having complied with the policies and guidelines on the handling of such confidential information.


In May 2016, MOH lodged a police report after receiving information that Brochez was in possession of confidential information that appeared to be from the HIV Registry.

Police searched the couple's properties and relevant material was seized as well.
In May 2018, after Brochez had been deported from Singapore, MOH received information that he still had part of the records. While the information did not appear to have been made public, MOH lodged a police report and contacted the affected individuals to inform them.
On Jan 22 this year, MOH was notified by the police that Brochez may still have more information from the HIV Registry, and had leaked it online.
HOW DID BROCHEZ ENTER SINGAPORE?
Ler helped Brochez, who was HIV-positive, dupe the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) into issuing the American an employment pass.
On two separate occasions, Ler gave a sample of his own blood to be submitted so that Brochez could hide his HIV status.
READ: ‘I am sorry’: Gan Kim Yong says health ministry providing support to HIV sufferers affected by data leak
The first instance was in March 2008 for a compulsory medical test required by the MOM for issuing the employment pass.
Brochez, who suspected he was HIV-positive, knew that he would not be granted an employment pass if MOM knew his medical status, court documents showed.
Ler suggested submitting his blood in Brochez's name to MOM in order to yield a negative result.
On the morning of Mar 13, Ler drew his own blood at home and stored it in a test tube.
Ler, who was a locum general practitioner at My Family Clinic at Commonwealth that day, brought the test tube to work with him.
When Brochez visited the clinic that evening for a blood test, Ler labelled the test tube with Brochez's particulars and submitted it for testing.
As a result, the test came back negative and MOM issued an employment pass to Brochez.
In October 2013, MOM received information that Brochez was HIV positive and directed him to cancel the personalised employment pass he had obtained in Feb 2011.
Brochez responded by saying that he had been falsely accused and told MOM he would supply "proof of being free of HIV".
READ: HIV data leak a 'criminal act that should be condemned': Action for AIDS
To prevent the pass from being cancelled, the couple repeated the ruse they had used in 2008 at the clinic Ler was working at at that time.
As a result, MOM allowed him to retain his pass.
According to court documents, Brochez said he and Ler were in love and the only way for them to be together was to commit the offences due to the “discriminatory” laws.
He also claimed that he posed no public health risk as he had been taking antivirals since 2008.
WHAT ELSE DID HE FAKE?
When police raided Brochez's residence, they seized several certificates purportedly issued to him, said court documents.
This included a linguistics degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s degree in developmental and child psychology as well as a doctorate in psychology and education from the University of Paris. A professional teaching certificate was also seized.
READ: Doctor on trial for helping HIV-positive boyfriend deceive MOM
Investigations revealed that all the certificates were forged and that Brochez neither attended the institutions nor obtained the qualifications.
He had used the certificates to apply for jobs with educational institutions in Singapore.
Authorities also found a Bahamian passport with the name Malatesta da Farrera-Brochez in a safe.
Though the passport bore the same birth date and photograph of Brochez as shown in his US passport, police confirmed that it was a fake.
During his work in Singapore, Brochez received multiple awards and recognition for teaching excellence. He also published articles in scientific journals and books on child psychology.
Brochez has also represented Singapore at international conferences for academia and research.
In a 2010 interview with a local newspaper, Brochez claimed that he was enrolled in Princeton University at the age of 13. However, he transferred to Vanderbilt University in his first year because he felt the latter offered better linguistic courses.
In the interview, Brochez said he could converse in eight languages, including Hebrew and Spanish, saying that he was "a gifted child".
Brochez claimed he was a successful "laboratory rat" of his mother, a Dr Theresa King, who was purportedly a renowned professor of child and adolescent psychology in the UK.
"My mother is a really big influence in my life. I would not have made it without all her help and guidance," he had said in the interview.
However, according to British daily The Independent, there was no psychologist with such qualifications under the name given by Brochez.
When The Independent contacted a UK-registered psychologist who qualified under the name given by Brochez, the news site was told that Brochez was not her son, and that she did not specialise in any of the relevant areas.
Source: CNA/ad(aj)
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Mikhy Brochez, American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing




SingaporeMikhy Brochez, American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mikhy K Farerra-Brochez leaked the data of 14,200 HIV sufferers from Singapore's HIV registry. (Photo: Clark County Detention Centre/Mugshots.com)
By Michael Yong
30 Jan 2019 12:06PM(Updated: 30 Jan 2019 07:07PM)
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SINGAPORE: The American who is suspected of leaking the personal information of 14,200 people from Singapore's HIV registry has been traced to a small county in Kentucky, US, where he has been charged with trying to trespass into his mother's house.
Mikhy K Farrera-Brochez, 34, was arrested at his mother’s house in Clark County in December last year, according to court and arrest documents seen by Channel NewsAsia.

Singapore’s Ministry of Health announced on Monday (Jan 28) that Brochez had leaked the personal information of 14,200 HIV sufferers online.


The former lecturer was jailed in 2016 for lying about his HIV status to gain an employment pass in Singapore.
Brochez, who was also convicted of fraud and drug-related offences, was sentenced to 28 months behind bars.
READ: HIV-positive individuals anxious, frustrated after MOH data leak

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In April last year, he was deported from Singapore, but is now wanted again in connection with the data leak.
“We are seeking the assistance of our foreign counterparts in our investigations. It is inappropriate to comment on the case further as investigations are ongoing,” the Singapore Police Force said in a statement, without specifying any country.
Ms Camille Dawson, the spokesperson for the US Embassy in Singapore, said the embassy could not comment on ongoing investigations.
TRESPASS AND ARREST
Brochez was arrested on Dec 8 last year at his mother Teresa King's home in Clark County, after she rang the local sheriff's office to complain that he was banging on her door.
Brochez had been warned on Sep 29 not to return to his mother’s property after he tried to force his way in, or face being arrested for criminal trespass. But he returned on Dec 8 to her home.
“Upon arrival, this deputy observed the above suspect [Brochez] sitting on the porch of the residence,” the arrest citation said.
“After talking with T. King, she advised that she did not want the above suspect on her property and that he had been warned in the past not to be on the property.
READ: HIV data leak: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez

“This deputy informed the suspect about the past warning and the suspect was instructed to leave numerous times but the suspect kept wanting to ask about the property that T. King had of his and wanting to talk to the sheriff.”
He was then arrested, placed into custody and taken to the Clark County Detention Centre. A spokesman for the detention centre confirmed with Channel NewsAsia that Brochez had been arrested and is on bail.
Brochez has been ordered to appear before the district court on Feb 18 to face the charge of third-degree criminal trespass.
DATA LEAK
The records leaked online were of 5,400 Singaporeans diagnosed with HIV from 1985 to January 2013 and 8,800 foreigners, including work and visit pass applicants and holders, diagnosed with HIV from 1985 to December 2011.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
The leaked information includes names, identification numbers, contact details, HIV test results and other medical information AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

It included their names, identification numbers, phone numbers, addresses, HIV test results and medical information.
MOH said the information was leaked by and is still in the possession of Brochez, an HIV-positive American who lived in Singapore from 2008.
He was in a romantic relationship with Ler Teck Siang, a male Singaporean doctor who was the head of the National Public Health Unit at MOH between March 2012 and May 2013.
They started living together in Singapore in 2008, before getting married in New York City on Apr 24, 2014.
Ler had authority to access information from the HIV registry, and he is believed to have mishandled the information and is suspected of not having complied with the policies and guidelines on the handling of such confidential information. He resigned in January 2014.
In May 2016, MOH lodged a police report after receiving information that Brochez still had the confidential information from the registry.
By then, Brochez had been remanded in prison and sentenced to 28 months behind bars. He was deported last year, and MOH received information he still had part of the records.
READ: HIV data leak a 'criminal act that should be condemned' - Action for AIDS

While the information was not yet public at that time, police were informed and the affected individuals were contacted.
But on Jan 22, MOH was told by the police that Brochez still had part of the information and it had now been leaked online.
WHO IS BROCHEZ?
Brochez had duped the Ministry of Manpower into issuing him an employment pass after arriving from America in 2008.
On two separate occasions, Ler gave a sample of his own blood to be submitted as Brochez’s so the American could hide his HIV status.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
File photo of a medical technician conducting a HIV screening test on blood serum samples. (Photo: AFP/Romeo Gacad)

But the ruse was discovered, and when the police raided their properties, they found several fake education certificates purportedly issued to him.
These included a linguistics degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s degree in developmental and child psychology as well as a doctorate in psychology and education from the University of Paris. A professional teaching certificate was also seized. Investigations showed they were all forged.
A Bahamian passport, with the name Malatesta da Farrera-Brochez, was also found in a safe.
READ: Gan Kim Yong says health ministry providing support to HIV sufferers affected by data leak



Brochez had given presentations and talks at several international conferences for academia and research. In a 2010 interview with a local newspaper, he claimed he spoke eight languages and was a “successful laboratory rat” of his mother, a Teresa King, who was supposedly a renowned professor of child and adolescent psychology in the UK.
But there was no psychologist in the UK with such qualifications. When British daily The Independent contacted a UK-registered psychologist who qualified under the name given by Brochez, she said Brochez was not her son and she did not have any specialisation in that particular area.
Source: CNA/mi(cy)
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SINGAPOREThe leaking of Singapore’s HIV registry records and the hunt for Mikhy Farrera Brochez: A timeline
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The leaking of Singapore’s HIV registry records and the hunt for Mikhy Farrera Brochez: A timeline




SingaporeThe leaking of Singapore’s HIV registry records and the hunt for Mikhy Farrera Brochez: A timeline
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
File photo of a medical technician conducting a HIV screening test on blood serum samples. (Photo: AFP/Romeo Gacad)
30 Jan 2019 06:24PM(Updated: 30 Jan 2019 07:18PM)
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SINGAPORE: Mikhy Farrera Brochez, the US citizen who is suspected to have leaked records of 14,200 people from Singapore’s HIV registry online, has been arrested and charged with trespass in the US state of Kentucky.
Even before allegations that he had leaked information from the registry emerged, Brochez had already made headlines after being convicted for numerous fraud and drug offences.

He was found to have used fake degree certificates to get hired as a lecturer in two local polytechnics.


Brochez, who is HIV-positive, also used blood samples from his partner, Singaporean doctor Ler Teck Siang, to pass blood tests so he could gain and retain his employment pass.
He is believed to have obtained the HIV registry records from Ler, who was head of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) National Public Health Unit and had access to the registry.
MOH has said that the incident “is believed to have arisen from the mishandling of information by Ler".

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READ: HIV-positive status of 14,200 people leaked online
READ: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez

This is a timeline of what we know so far about how the records were leaked.
Jan 2008: Mikhy Farrera Brochez moves to Singapore and uses falsified blood tests to get an employment pass.
Mar 2012 to May 2013: Ler serves as head of the National Public Health Unit, a position that gives him access to the national HIV registry.
Jan 2014: Ler resigns from the National Public Health Unit.
May 2016: MOH lodges a police report against Brochez after receiving information that he had confidential information that appeared to be from the HIV registry.
Ler’s Craig Road apartment and Brochez’s Telok Kurau apartment were searched.
“All relevant material found were seized and secured by the police,” MOH said.
No public announcements were made about the HIV registry records at that time.
That same month, Ler and Brochez were arrested over the falsified blood test.
Jun 2016: Brochez is remanded in prison.
Jun 24, 2016: Ler is charged under the Official Secrets Act for “failing to retain possession of a thumb drive” containing data from the HIV registry.
The charge under the OSA has been stood down, and MOH says that it is pending before the courts.
Mar 28, 2017: Brochez is convicted of fraud and drug offences, and sentenced to 28 months’ jail.
Apr 2018: Brochez is released from prison. According to MOH, he was deported from Singapore.
May 2018: MOH receives information that Brochez still has part of the records he had in 2016. The information did not appear to have been made public at the time, MOH said.
MOH lodges a police report and contacts affected individuals to notify them. This appears to be the first time that individuals were informed of the case.
No public announcements were made on the case at this time.
Jan 22, 2019: MOH is informed that Brochez could still have more data from the HIV registry and that he has leaked the information online.
Jan 24, 2019: MOH confirms that the leaked information was the HIV registry records up to Jan 2013.
Jan 24 to 25, 2019: MOH is working with “relevant parties” to disable access to the information, it said, without disclosing who the parties were.
MOH added that Brochez still has the data and could still publicly disclose it in the future.
Jan 26, 2019: MOH begins notifying those affected.
Jan 28, 2019: MOH informs the public that the said HIV registry records of 14,200 people “is in the possession of an unauthorised person”, and that “the information has been illegally disclosed online".
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong apologises.
"I am sorry that one of our former staff who was authorised to have access to confidential information in our HIV registry appears to not have complied with our security guidelines," Mr Gan told reporters. "We will not hesitate to take stern action against staff who violate security guidelines, abuse their authority or abuse access to information."
READ: 'It's very traumatic': HIV-positive individuals anxious, frustrated after MOH data leak

READ: Action for AIDS condemns data leak
READ: Gan Kim Yong apologises; says health ministry providing support to affected HIV sufferers
MOH says Brochez is currently under police investigation for various offences and the authorities are seeking assistance from their foreign counterparts.
Jan 30, 2019: Channel NewsAsia learns that Brochez was arrested in the United States in Dec 2018 for trying to trespass into his mother's house.
He is due to appear before the district court in Clark County, Kentucky on Feb 18.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mikhy K Farerra-Brochez leaked the data of 14,200 HIV sufferers from Singapore's HIV registry. (Photo: Clark County Detention Centre/Mugshots.com)

Source: CNA/ek(dt)
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SINGAPORE'It's very traumatic': HIV-positive individuals anxious, frustrated after MOH data leak
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Mr Avin Tan, 33, took three years to gather enough courage to tell his mother that he has human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
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By Aqil Haziq Mahmud

and Jalelah Abu Baker
29 Jan 2019 09:31PM(Updated: 30 Jan 2019 07:05PM)
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SINGAPORE: Mr Avin Tan, 33, took three years to gather enough courage to tell his mother he has human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
After being diagnosed in 2009, he started coming out to a few "safe people" in 2012, before leaving his bottles of medication out in the open at home in anticipation of questions from his mother.

"I thought when she would ask me what it was for, I would tell her," he told Channel NewsAsia at the office of advocacy group Action for AIDS (AfA) on Tuesday (Jan 29). "But the first few times she did, I said it’s for work; it’s someone else’s medication. I chickened out."
A few weeks later, Mr Tan entered his mother's room as she was watching television to break the news. She took a while to let it sink in - then she started crying.
"Later, she told me she was crying because she’s just worried. Why did I take so long to tell her? Am I coping well? Is the medication very expensive? How was my health?" Mr Tan said. "She was actually more worried than anything else."
For something as sensitive as coming out with HIV, Mr Tan was able to choose the right time and the right people. But for some 14,200 other HIV-positive individuals, this was snatched away from them.

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On Monday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed that the confidential information of these individuals was illegally leaked online by American Mikhy K Farrera Brochez.
Brochez was the boyfriend of Ler Teck Siang, a general practitioner who was formerly the head of the MOH’s National Public Health Unit. Brochez was deported from Singapore last May after serving a 28-month jail sentence for numerous fraud and drug-related offences, and is now under police investigation for his latest offences.
On Jan 22, the ministry was notified that an unauthorised person - later identified as Brochez - had leaked information from the HIV Registry, dating as far back as 1985 up till January 2013. The information includes names, identification and phone numbers, addresses, HIV test results and medical information.
READ: Mikhy Brochez, American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing
READ: HIV data leak: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez
MOH said it has been "progressively contacting" people who might have been affected by the leak. As of 1pm on Monday, 900 have been approached.
THE CALL
The call for Mr Tan came on Monday evening, right after the MOH press conference announcing the leak ended. But it was not entirely unexpected.
Friends who were HIV-positive told him MOH had contacted them over the weekend. So Mr Tan - a manager for advocacy and partnerships at AfA - was already in the office, busy putting information out on social media and ensuring those affected had the support they needed.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mr Avin Tan said some of those affected were in tears when they called the AfA hotline. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)

Still, when the MOH officer on the line asked for his full name and NRIC, Mr Tan said his "heavy heart sank just a little bit". "Cognitively, I knew something was happening, but emotionally, it hadn’t quite connected until the call happened," he added.
Mr Tan immediately felt very anxious, especially for his family, as he was worried that the information would be used against him: Could bad people start calling his family? Disturb them at his home?
"The mind does its own thing despite knowing that the (leaked) information was contained, taken down," he said. "It’s just that nagging thing at the back of the head. I think that for most people, it’s going to be like that for many months to come."
THE REACTION
Mr Tan was right. Some affected individuals were in tears as they dialled in to AfA's hotlines for advice.
"They were so stressed out by the entire situation," he said. "They don’t know how their families are going to react to it if they found out, they don’t know whether they’re going to lose their jobs if their employers found out.
"Will they lose coverage of their insurance, for example? There’re a lot of those questions hovering, and there are just no clear answers around them until much later, I suppose."

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
It took Mr Avin Tan three years to tell his mother he has HIV. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)

Another affected individual, who only wanted to be known as Rico, told Channel NewsAsia he was exercising outdoors on Sunday when he got the call. As it was not a working day, he did not believe it was official.
"I thought it was a prank," Rico, 31, said. Only when he established that it was someone from the hospital he goes to for check-ups did he let his guard down. He was asked to find a quiet place.
"My mind just went blank," added Rico, who has been living with HIV for almost a decade. His immediate concern was whether a police report had been made, but since then, his worries have grown bigger.
"I have a nagging fear that the information will be leaked again, and that it will be worse this time," he continued.
Rico has reason to fear the consequences of his identity being revealed. After he was initially diagnosed, he told someone and was shunned.
"I told someone whom I thought would listen," he said. "But the person outright rejected me. The person broke our friendship based on that."
Fortunately, Mr Tan said he has not received reports of major fallouts from the incident, like people getting fired or losing their insurance coverage.
"I think it’s a mix between being anxious and frustrated," he said of the current sentiment among the HIV-positive community. "The sense of helplessness is there, because there’s nothing else we can do about this at this point."
COMMUNITY TRAUMATISED
The bigger picture, however, is that the incident has destroyed the trust the community had built up over the years to seek help in Singapore, Mr Tan said.
"We have spent so much energy and time trying to build up people’s trust to seek care here, and that trust has just eroded now," he explained. "It’s very traumatic because all the work that has been done over the last 20 years, it’s so easy to lose."

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mr Avin Tan wants the public to show support for those affected: "Put it up as a Facebook status update, tell them that no matter what, I'm going to support you." (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)

Mr Tan said there is a lot of fear about letting the Government know one has HIV, adding that some in the community have now questioned if it is safe to go to advocacy groups like AfA.
"This incident is just going to drive people underground, it’s just going to cause rifts in relationships," Mr Tan added.
"On a personal level, it’s just the amount things that I’m reading online, it’s so hurtful to read. The misinformation that’s being spread, the bigotry and kind of comments, it’s an onslaught."
READ: HIV data leak a 'criminal act that should be condemned': Action for AIDS

For example, Mr Tan said some netizens had asked how authorities could have allowed so many HIV-positive foreigners into Singapore. Out of the 14,200 affected, 8,800 were foreigners.
"People with HIV are not monsters," Mr Tan stated. "Whether they are locals or foreigners, it has no implication on how they can work. And instead of showing the kind of concern, we are alienating people.
"It’s just very ugly to read them."
READ: 265 new cases of HIV reported between Jan and Oct: MOH

Likewise, Rico worries that the incident would worsen the stigma surrounding those with HIV. Those who are unsure about seeking help might not come forward now, he added.
"It’s not just 14,200 people, it’s not just figures. It’s the number of lives affected," he stated. "Everyone is really angry about what happened. I am as angry as anybody else."
EVERYONE LOSES
Mr Tan is angry too. He was friends with Ler and Brochez, and had looked after their cat at their place a couple of times.
"There’s that very disgusting kind of bitter aftertaste, like I’m actually quite closely linked to this entire thing," he said. "I know it’s nothing to do with me, but it’s just a bit scary that all that was happening while we were friends."
READ: ‘I am sorry’: Gan Kim Yong says health ministry providing support to HIV sufferers affected by data leak

Because of what the two men did, Mr Tan said everybody ended up suffering the consequences.
"I think every single person - MOH, everyone whose info had been leaked, including them - are losers in this entire situation," he added. "So really, it’s not something very nice that he did, but the law will take its own course, and I don’t need to add more to that."
Source: CNA/hz(hm)
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Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...chez-ler-data-registry-leak-afa-aids-11180052
 
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Doctor who leaked list of people with HIV can't practise, has no access to national health database
Posed photo of a doctor. Ler Teck Siang had leaked the details of 14,200 people with confirmed HIV, and another 2,400 of their contacts.
PHOTO: The Straits Times
SALMA KHALIK
THE STRAITS TIMES

Jan 29, 2019

SINGAPORE - The doctor who leaked the details of 14,200 people with confirmed HIV, and another 2,400 of their contacts - including sexual partners and drug users who could also be at risk of infection - is still on the Register of Medical Practitioners.
But he no longer has a practising certificate, which is required to practise medicine in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Also, unlike other doctors, Ler Teck Siang no longer has access to confidential information of patients in the National Electronic Health Records (NEHR), which includes all public sector patients.


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The MOH said: "Ler remains registered as a doctor, but he currently does not have access to MOH and public healthcare IT systems with patient records. In particular, he has had no access to the NEHR system since January 2014. He will not be permitted access to any of these systems."

When asked why he has not been taken off the Register, Associate Professor Benjamin Ong, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) Registrar, said the council has to follow "due process".

READ ALSO
Data of 14,200 Singapore patients with HIV leaked online by American fraudster who was deported from here

Prof Ong, who is also the Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), said Ler has appealed against his 24-month conviction and the appeal will be heard in March.
Ler had given a sample of his blood in place of that of his HIV-positive boyfriend Mikhy Farrera-Brochez.
Now, he faces another charge of "mishandling" information under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) while he was head of the National Public Health Unit.
This resulted in details of all 14,200 people diagnosed with HIV here since 1985 - till 2013 for locals and 2011 for foreigners - to land in the hands of Farrera-Brochez. The American also has the details of 2,400 people who were their contacts.
The information includes their names, identification numbers, phone numbers and addresses.

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He recently released these details online.
Meanwhile, the charge against Ler under the OSA is pending his appeal on the earlier charges. Historically, the SMC does not take action against a doctor until any legal appeals have disposed of.
MOH'S DECISION TO ANNOUNCE THE LEAK
Mr Chan Heng Kee, permanent secretary at the MOH, said the ministry looks at several factors in deciding whether to go public on such incidents.
The key consideration is patients' interest and well being.
He said: "From there, we consider factors, (such as) whether the information was secured. Whether the information was publicly disclosed. Whether there is a continuing risk of the information being exposed even if we were able to secure.
READ ALSO
People with HIV shocked by data leak, Action for Aids says deeply troubled by case
"And also the concerns that individuals might have, should the incident be made public."
In this case, the information has been disclosed online.
He added: "Certainly in the case where the information has been contained, we would take a more conservative approach."
The other reason is that more than half those affected are foreigners who will be difficult for the ministry to contact.
"We recognise that even with our best efforts, there are a lot of individuals who we will not be able to contact," he said.
Going public may get those with concerns to contact MOH.
THE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CAN RESURFACE IN FUTURE
The authorities have blocked online access to the details put out by Farrera-Brochez. But they were not able to retrieve the information from him, as they have not been able to get in touch with him since he is no longer in Singapore.
Said Mr Chan: "He is still in possession of the information it is possible that it could still be publicly disclosed."
It is also possible that others have now got copies of the information, either after he had put it online, or were given to them by him.
MOH IS OPEN TO LEGAL ACTION
The MOH "has no statutory immunity" and hence, cannot "rule out the possibility of lawsuits" as a result of this breach .
Mr Chan said a lot would depend on what the police uncovers in its investigation.
However, the ministry is doing everything possible to help these people, including providing them with a hotline and counsellors. Many of the 900 who have been contacted as at 1 pm yesterday were anxious, distressed and concerned, he said.
STEPS TAKEN TO PREVENT FUTURE LEAKS
Associate Professor Vernon Lee, director of Communicable Diseases Division at the ministry said safeguards against such a breach has been rolled out since 2016.
Now, two people must approve before the information can be downloaded and decrypted. This has to be done at a designated workstation that is "specifically configured and locked down" to prevent unauthorised removal of information.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
 
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All these over-rated ministers literally have blood on their hands. LTA/SMRT deaths of technicians, MOH Hepatitis C deaths, Mindef/Civil Defence/Home Team deaths of servicemen and regulars. The list goes on! While the deceased has departed from the scene, these thick-skinned ministers are still trying very hard to look competent and smart.:poop:
 
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The leaking of Singapore’s HIV registry records and the hunt for Mikhy Farrera Brochez: A timeline
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
File photo of a medical technician conducting a HIV screening test on blood serum samples. (Photo: AFP/Romeo Gacad)
30 Jan 2019 06:24PM (Updated: 31 Jan 2019 10:58AM)
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SINGAPORE: Mikhy Farrera Brochez, the US citizen who is suspected to have leaked records of 14,200 people from Singapore’s HIV registry online, has been arrested and charged with trespass in the US state of Kentucky.
Even before allegations that he had leaked information from the registry emerged, Brochez had already made headlines after being convicted for numerous fraud and drug offences.

He was found to have used fake degree certificates to get hired as a lecturer in two local polytechnics.
Brochez, who is HIV-positive, also used blood samples from his partner, Singaporean doctor Ler Teck Siang, to pass blood tests so he could gain and retain his employment pass.
He is believed to have obtained the HIV registry records from Ler, who was head of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) National Public Health Unit and had access to the registry.
MOH has said that the incident “is believed to have arisen from the mishandling of information by Ler".

READ: HIV-positive status of 14,200 people leaked online
READ: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez

This is a timeline of what we know so far about how the records were leaked.
Jan 2008: Mikhy Farrera Brochez moves to Singapore and uses falsified blood tests to get an employment pass.
Mar 2012 to May 2013: Ler serves as head of the National Public Health Unit, a position that gives him access to the national HIV registry.
Jan 2014: Ler resigns from the National Public Health Unit.
May 2016: MOH lodges a police report against Brochez after receiving information that he had confidential information that appeared to be from the HIV registry.
Ler’s Craig Road apartment and Brochez’s Telok Kurau apartment were searched.
“All relevant material found were seized and secured by the police,” MOH said.
No public announcements were made about the HIV registry records at that time.
That same month, Ler and Brochez were arrested over the falsified blood test.
Jun 2016: Brochez is remanded in prison.
Jun 24, 2016: Ler is charged under the Official Secrets Act for “failing to retain possession of a thumb drive” containing data from the HIV registry.
The charge under the OSA has been stood down, and MOH says that it is pending before the courts.
Mar 28, 2017: Brochez is convicted of fraud and drug offences, and sentenced to 28 months’ jail.
Apr 2018: Brochez is released from prison. According to MOH, he was deported from Singapore.
May 2018: MOH receives information that Brochez still has part of the records he had in 2016. The information did not appear to have been made public at the time, MOH said.
MOH lodges a police report and contacts affected individuals to notify them. This appears to be the first time that individuals were informed of the case.
No public announcements were made on the case at this time.
Jan 22, 2019: MOH is informed that Brochez could still have more data from the HIV registry and that he has leaked the information online.
Jan 24, 2019: MOH confirms that the leaked information was the HIV registry records up to Jan 2013.
Jan 24 to 25, 2019: MOH works with “relevant parties” to disable access to the information. The ministry does not disclose who these parties are.
MOH added that Brochez still has the data and could still publicly disclose it in the future.
Jan 26, 2019: MOH begins notifying those affected.
Jan 28, 2019: MOH informs the public that the said HIV registry records of 14,200 people “is in the possession of an unauthorised person”, and that “the information has been illegally disclosed online".
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong apologises.
"I am sorry that one of our former staff who was authorised to have access to confidential information in our HIV registry appears to not have complied with our security guidelines," Mr Gan told reporters. "We will not hesitate to take stern action against staff who violate security guidelines, abuse their authority or abuse access to information."
READ: 'It's very traumatic': HIV-positive individuals anxious, frustrated after MOH data leak

READ: Action for AIDS condemns data leak
READ: Gan Kim Yong apologises; says health ministry providing support to affected HIV sufferers
MOH says Brochez is currently under police investigation for various offences and the authorities are seeking assistance from their foreign counterparts.
Jan 30, 2019: Channel NewsAsia learns that Brochez was arrested in the United States in Dec 2018 for trying to trespass into his mother's house.
He is due to appear before the district court in Clark County, Kentucky on Feb 18.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mikhy K Farerra-Brochez leaked the data of 14,200 HIV sufferers from Singapore's HIV registry. (Photo: Clark County Detention Centre/Mugshots.com)

Source: CNA/ek(dt)
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...egistry-leak-timeline-ler-teck-siang-11180290
 
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THis is a really bleeding heart article,,,it should be HIV is not a death sentence, but it should be...all it does is keep the person alive,,,,and the so called medications are not free....better to just go Soylent Green

'It's a death sentence': HIV myths debunked
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A healthcare worker draws a blood sample from a man getting tested for HIV/AIDS. (Photo: AFP/ Noah SEELAM).
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
By Ainslee Asokan
31 Jan 2019 10:58AM (Updated: 31 Jan 2019 11:00AM)
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SINGAPORE: "It's a death sentence" is a common yet misguided outcry when most people broach the topic of HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus.
On Monday (Jan 28), it was reported that the HIV-positive status of 14,200 people in Singapore had been leaked online by US citizen Mikhy Farrera Brochez, leading many to speculate about the virus and how it is transmitted.

READ: Mikhy Brochez, American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing

Here are some common misconceptions about HIV, debunked:
MYTH 1: HIV IS TRANSMITTED ONLY THROUGH SEX
HIV can spread through unprotected sexual intercourse with a partner who is HIV-positive. However, it can also spread via non-sexual contact and means, as certain body fluids like blood and breast milk can transmit the virus as well.

This means that the virus can be passed along by sharing needles, receiving tainted blood transfusions or from a HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
HIV cannot be spread through social contact like touching, kissing and hugging, as the virus does not survive long outside the human body.
MYTH 2: HIV CAN SPREAD EASILY
While there is no cure for HIV, the spread of the virus can be contained.
Those with a HIV-positive status can seek anti-retroviral drugs that suppress the virus. Taking a combination of these drugs can reduce the amount of virus in an infected person's blood and bodily fluids.
This greatly reduces the chances of an infected person transmitting HIV to a sexual partner.
Even before an HIV infection, these anti-retroviral drugs can be used to prevent an infection if someone suspects that they may have been exposed to the virus. However, it must be started within 72 hours of a suspected exposure to HIV.
Those at a higher risk of HIV can also take preventive measures like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which comprises two anti-viral medications - tenofovir and emtricitabine - that, when taken, reduces the chances of contracting HIV infection.
Finally, using condoms can also reduce the risk of getting HIV.
MYTH 3: HIV = AIDS
The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by HIV, but it refers to the final stage of an HIV infection. AIDS occurs if the virus has managed to compromise the immune system.
As HIV destroys white blood cells that are vital for the body to fight off infections, it could progress to become AIDS.
However, the HIV virus can take up to 10 years to develop into AIDS. Even then, not everyone with HIV will see their condition develop into AIDS.
MYTH 4: HIV IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH SEX BETWEEN MEN
According to the Ministry of Health's HealthHub portal, 90 per cent of HIV infections in Singapore occur through sexual intercourse, but 60 per cent of these infections arise from heterosexual intercourse.
Of the number of Singapore residents living with HIV/AIDS as documented between 1985 and 2017, 4,439 contracted the virus through heterosexual intercourse, as compared to 2,557 from homosexual sexual relations.
MYTH 5: HIV IS A DEATH SENTENCE
It is not.
While it is true that HIV cannot be cured, advances in medical treatment have meant that sufferers are now living longer, healthier lives than when the virus first emerged in the early 1980s.
With advanced treatment, both the lifespan and quality of life of someone living with the virus can be drastically improved to be on par with that of someone without the virus, said Action for Aids, an advocacy group based in Singapore.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, HealthHub, Action for Aids, World Health Organisation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Source: CNA/aa(rw)
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/health/death-sentence-hiv-aids-myths-debunked-11184520
 
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HIV data leak: Unanswered questions and information gaps remain
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mikhy K Farerra-Brochez leaked the data of 14,200 HIV sufferers from Singapore's HIV registry. (Photo: Clark County Detention Centre/Mugshots.com)
31 Jan 2019 04:50PM (Updated: 31 Jan 2019 05:27PM)
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SINGAPORE: In announcing the shocking news that the HIV-positive status of 14,200 people - along with other confidential information such as their identification numbers and contact details - has been leaked online, the authorities provided some background to the circumstances that led to the disclosure.
While an outline understanding of the complex series of events has emerged, unanswered questions and information gaps still remain.

For instance, why did the authorities not make it public in May 2016 when it was known that the confidential information was in the hands of an "unauthorised person"?

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At a media briefing held on Monday (Jan 28), Permanent Secretary of Health Chan Heng Kee said the Ministry of Health (MOH) did not make it public earlier that Brochez had the data because the most important consideration was whether it was in the people's interest, and their well-being.
"In a case where the information is more contained, we will take a more conservative approach given that we do know that the persons in this registry would have concerns about a public announcement," he said.
READ: Gan Kim Yong says health ministry providing support to HIV sufferers affected by data leak

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As the public awaits further details on the facts behind the case, some of the other key questions that will need to be addressed are as follows:
1. How did the data remain in the hands of "unauthorised" people after May 2016?
What we know: Director of the Communicable Diseases Division at the Ministry of Health (MOH) Associate Professor Vernon Lee said in Monday's briefing to the media that his ministry lodged a police report in May 2016, after receiving information that Mikhy Farrera Brochez was in possession of confidential information that appeared to be from the HIV registry. At the time, the properties occupied by Brochez and his partner Ler Teck Siang were searched by the police and all “relevant” material found was seized and secured, he said.
Further questioned as to whether it was fair to say that the police did not perform a complete search, thus leading to Brochez being able to retain some information and then leak it, Permanent Secretary of Health Chan, who was also part of the panel chairing the briefing, said: “I can’t comment on how he had this information that has just been exposed, but I can say that both Ler’s and Brochez’ properties were searched by the police and whatever relevant material then was seized.”
2. How many affected individuals were told in May 2018 that confidential information about them was in the hands of an unauthorised person?
What we know: Assoc Prof Lee said that in May 2018, MOH received information that Brochez still had part of the records he had in 2016. This was a month after Brochez finished serving a jail sentence for other offences and was deported from Singapore.
MOH lodged a police report and contacted the affected individuals even though the information did not appear to have been leaked publicly, he said. When asked how many individuals were affected, Mr Chan said: “It was a very small number”, but did not elaborate.
READ: The leaking of Singapore’s HIV registry records and the hunt for Mikhy Farrera Brochez: A timeline

3. Where was Brochez deported to in April 2018 after serving his prison term?
What we know: Nothing was revealed about where Brochez was deported to after being released from prison. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said they could not share the information because of “confidentiality reasons”.
Nothing was also said about whether the Singapore authorities were monitoring him after he left the country.
He is, however, known to have arrived in the US state of Kentucky by December 2018, when he was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespass.
His mother, Teresa King, had called the police after Brochez banged on the door of her home. He had previously been warned to stay away from the house in Winchester, Kentucky.
After he returned and refused to leave the property, Brochez was taken into custody and charged.
The 34-year-old has been ordered to return to the district court on Feb 18 to face the charge of criminal trespass.
The Singapore Police Force has said it is “seeking the assistance of our foreign counterparts” in its investigations, without naming the countries or organisations involved.
READ: American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing

4. Why was the Official Secrets Act charge against Ler Teck Siang stood down?
What we know: Singaporean doctor Ler Teck Siang, who was head of MOH's National Public Health Unit, is believed to have passed the data to Brochez. Ler has faced a number of charges in court, but the one - issued in June 2016 - under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for “failing to retain possession of a thumb drive” containing data from the HIV registry has been "stood down" - that is, put aside for the time being.
MOH says that it is pending before the courts.
The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) did not comment when asked why the charge was stood down.
Lawyers told Channel NewsAsia that the decision on which charges to stand down or proceed with lies with the prosecution.
Mr Eugene Thuraisingam pointed to an article in the Constitution which states: "The Attorney-General shall have power, exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence."
"In other words, Article 35(8) vests wide discretion in the AG as public prosecutor in the conduct of criminal proceedings," said Mr Thuraisingam. "When an accused person is charged with multiple offences and decides to claim trial, prosecutorial discretion entails that the prosecution can decide which specific charges to proceed with at trial, and which charges to stand down."
He added that the prosecution "is not required to give reasons for why they decide to proceed with certain charges and not others".
Explaining the rationale for prosecutorial discretion, IRB Law partner Jeremy Cheong and IRB Law associate Mato Kotwani said: "Like all organisations, the prosecution has limited resources and cannot investigate and prosecute every matter that is reported."
READ: HIV myths debunked

HOW DOES THE PROSECUTION DECIDE WHICH CHARGES TO STAND DOWN?
Ms Tania Chin, partner at Withers KhattarWong, said the prosecution could stand down certain charges if the strengths or merits of the stood down charges are affected by the verdict or conclusion of the proceeded charges.
In another scenario, if an accused person is convicted of the proceeded charges and sentenced, the sentence could be determined as an adequate deterrent and there would be less of a need to expend resources on the stood down charges.
The prosecution could also consider how best they want to present their evidence in deciding which charges to stand down and proceed with first, said Ms Chin.
The prosecution also may decide to withdraw a stood down charge after they secure a conviction for the proceeded charge, said IRB Law lawyers Mr Cheong and Mr Kotwani.
They added that other factors that may influence a decision to stand down a charge include evidence given by a co-accused, or if further investigations or reports are necessary.
Ms Chin of Withers KhattarWong added that the prosecution will simply inform the courts which charges they are standing down, and "nothing else is required from any other party before a charge can be successfully stood down".
Asked about why certain cases with mixed charges for various offences are dealt with all at once while charges in other cases are dealt with separately, Withers KhattarWong partner Shashi Nathan said it is the prosecution's prerogative, and both situations commonly arise.
"The length of time it takes for the prosecution to proceed with a charge depends on each case, with its own particular set of facts," he said.
On how the prosecution could decide the sequence of charges to proceed on, Mr Thuraisingam said: "The easiest to prove are usually proceeded with first, in the absence of any other strategic reasons."
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHARGE IS STOOD DOWN?
Ms Chin said there are three possible outcomes for stood down charges.
The prosecution may proceed with the charge, withdraw it, or take the charge into consideration when sentencing, if the accused person pleads guilty to the stood down charge.
Should the prosecution fail to convict the accused person in a trial with proceeded charges, they can choose to revive the stood down charges, said Mr Thuraisingam.
"The accused person will then have to defend the previously stood down charges at trial or plead guilty to them, notwithstanding that he was acquitted for the charges which were initially proceeded with," he explained.
"Of course in this scenario, the prosecution also retains the discretion to drop the previously stood down charges and not pursue them any further."
5. How was access to the confidential information disabled?
What we know: MOH said on Monday that it had “worked with the relevant parties to disable access” to the confidential data leaked on the Internet.
It added that it is working with “relevant parties to scan the Internet for signs of further disclosure of the information”.
It did not, however, disclose the identities of the relevant parties nor did it specify how the information was disabled.
Acronis security researcher Ravikant Tiwari told Channel NewsAsia that such stolen information is generally uploaded on various hack forums and file-sharing sites such as Pastebin and Mega, and is usually hosted on Web servers overseas.
Disabling access would require a joint effort from government organisations, Internet service providers and the wider tech industry, he said.
Governments will need the help of tech partners to scan the Internet for the occurrence of such data, identify the server or servers the data are hosted on and the residing country, and issue a takedown request.
If taking down a Web domain, this can be done at the domain registrar level, Mr Ravikant explained. Domain registrars, in general, are companies people turn to to create a website. The Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) for the relevant countries would also be in contact during this time.
“Having said that, taking down one website can’t solve the problem completely,” the researcher said. “Most probably it will reappear in other places, or could be copied and distributed by other people.”
READ: HIV-positive individuals anxious, frustrated after MOH data leak
Another cybersecurity professional, Mr Dexter Ng, added that once the data hits the Dark Web, “there is no way to completely disable access”.
“Cybercriminals as a practice make multiple copies, move and alter the data, which means complete removal of the data cannot be done,” said the CTO of bug bounty platform AntiHack.me.
Acronis’ Ravikant added that unlike the Internet we know and use, the Dark Web is “not regulated and is decentralised, which means there is no authority or point of contact you can reach for disabling access”.
Reporting by Lydia Lam, Kevin Kwang, Jalelah Abu Baker and Michael Yong.
Source: CNA/db
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Doctor at heart of HIV data leak to stand trial in May for drug charges
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Doctor at heart of HIV data leak to stand trial in May for drug charges
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Doctor at heart of HIV data leak to stand trial in May for drug charges
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File photo of blood being drawn during an HIV test. (Photo: AFP)
By Lydia Lam
31 Jan 2019 06:07PM
(Updated: 31 Jan 2019 06:14PM)
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SINGAPORE: The doctor at the heart of the data leak of 14,200 HIV-positive people will be returning to court in May to stand trial for drug charges, the State Courts confirmed on Thursday (Jan 31).

Ler Teck Siang, whose partner Mikhy Farrera Brochez is suspected to have leaked the information online, is facing charges for allegedly trafficking methamphetamine to another man in a hotel, and for possessing drug utensils.

Ler's previous job as head of the Ministry of Health's (MOH) National Public Health Unit granted him access to Singapore's HIV registry, and he mishandled the information of 14,200 HIV-positive people.

On Monday (Jan 28), MOH revealed personal information from the register, including phone numbers and medical records of HIV sufferers, had been leaked online, adding that Brochez is suspected to still possess the data.

Brochez was deported from the country in April 2018, after serving his sentence of 28 months' jail for lying to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) about his HIV status, along with other fraud and drug offences.

READ: Unanswered questions and information gaps remain about HIV data leak

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Mikhy K Farerra-Brochez mug shot
Mikhy K Farerra-Brochez is suspected to have leaked the data of 14,200 HIV sufferers from Singapore's HIV registry. (Photo: Clark County Detention Centre/Mugshots.com)

Ler, 37, will return to court on May 29 to face the drug charges, the courts confirmed.

The doctor was charged with eight offences in total. He has been sentenced for the first four, which include two charges of abetting Brochez to cheat MOM about Brochez's HIV-positive status, and two charges of giving false information to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the police.

The fifth charge alleged he failed to take reasonable care of confidential information of those who are HIV-positive, an offence under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). It has been stood down or set aside.

That means the charge is still live and will be dealt with after the other charges have been settled.

DRUG CHARGES

The latest three charges are drug-related. According to charge sheets seen by Channel NewsAsia, Ler was charged for the first drug offence in September last year while his trial for abetting Brochez to cheat MOM was ongoing.

He is accused of failing to provide a urine specimen to a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer within the required time in March 2018. The charge has also been stood down and the offence is punishable with a maximum 10-year sentence, $20,000 fine or both.

READ: Mikhy Brochez, American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing

Ler was slapped with the other two drug offences on Nov 16, after he was convicted of the first four proceeded charges.

He is accused of trafficking and administering methamphetamine at a hotel room in Swissotel The Stamford on Feb 26, 2018 to another man, Mr Sim Eng Chee. He faces a maximum 20 years' jail term for this, with 15 strokes of the cane.

He was also allegedly found with drug utensils at the lobby of the Conrad Centennial Hotel Lobby on March 2, 2018. The maximum sentence for this is a fine of S$10,000 and three years behind bars, or both.
Source: CNA/ll(mi)
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SINGAPOREWhy does Singapore need an HIV registry? - Channel NewsAsia
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Why does Singapore need an HIV registry?




SingaporeWhy does Singapore need an HIV registry?
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
FILE PHOTO: A nurse holds a glass containing a cocktail of HIV/AIDS drugs for a patient at Mercy Centre in Bangkok February 8, 2007. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
By Jalelah Abu Baker
01 Feb 2019 06:00AM(Updated: 01 Feb 2019 06:20AM)
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SINGAPORE: The term “Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) registry” has been in the headlines since Monday (Jan 28), when the Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed that the personal details of 14,200 HIV-positive people stored in this database were leaked online.

The information was suspected to be leaked by and to still be in the possession of Mikhy Farrera Brochez, an American who has been convicted here of fraud and drug offences.

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MOH said that the information in the registry is collected for public health purposes, such as disease surveillance, monitoring the HIV infection situation, conducting contact tracing and assessing disease prevention and management measures.
In the wake of the data leak, some have questioned the need for such data to be collected and stored, but some medical professionals told Channel NewsAsia the registry remains relevant.
Infectious disease specialist from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital Dr Leong Hoe Nam said that there is a case for having such a registry because there is a need to monitor HIV cases every year, in order to track changes in the way the disease is transmitted.
“This allows the Government to decide the amount of resources to direct to control the illness, and project healthcare costs,” he said. Under the Infectious Diseases Act, healthcare professionals have an obligation to notify MOH of positive HIV test results.

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READ: HIV data leak: Unanswered questions and information gaps remain

Tracking patients using their personal details prevents double-counting, meaning that figures will be accurate, he added. He said that other infectious diseases like tuberculosis and Hepatitis B and C also have registries.
Dr Jeremy Chan, who runs a medical practice in his name, said that tracking HIV trends is important, as Singapore is small and vulnerable, and there is a need to minimise the risk of such infectious diseases. Dr Chan deals with Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV in his clinic.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV, which is treatable but cannot be cured, targets the immune system and weakens people's defence against infections and some types of cancer.
The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections or other severe clinical manifestations.
READ: 'It's a death sentence': HIV myths debunked

Doctors said that HIV is mainly sexually transmitted and can infect anyone regardless of gender or sexual practices, although when first discovered, HIV was more common among men who have sex with men.
According to MOH's HealthHub portal, 90 per cent of HIV infections in Singapore occur through sexual intercourse, and 60 per cent arise from heterosexual intercourse.
TIME FOR A REVIEW?
However, the doctors said that while these trends are important from a healthcare point of view, there may not be a need for personal details to be stored, or stored permanently.
Dr Chan said that having a registry which only identifies gender and nationality will suffice.
“Patients can be given unique identifiers, which is what we do with other STDs,” he said.
Dr Leong also said it can be argued that tracking trends does not require patients' personal particulars.
READ: The leaking of Singapore’s HIV registry records and the hunt for Mikhy Farrera Brochez, a timeline
In fact, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health Dr Chia Shi-Lu said that it is worth reviewing to see if there is a need to keep such a database.
“There are ways to tag the disease such that healthcare professionals are aware that a person has been diagnosed, but there may be no need to maintain a database for it," he said.
He said that given the medical advancements over the decade, the disease is now not as infectious, which makes it less necessary for the disease to be tracked using a database.
“ABSOLUTELY NO NEED” FOR REGISTRY
Dr Tan Kok Kuan, chief medical officer at the Doctor Tan And Partners Clinics Group, went as far as saying that there is ”absolutely no need” for a registry.
At the time when the HIV registry was set up in 1985, there was very little understanding of the disease and there was no effective way to treat it, Dr Tan said. His clinic performs anonymous HIV testing.
The difference now is that healthcare officials and professionals know exactly how the virus is spread and also have good effective medical treatments that allow HIV-positive people to lead a healthy life with a normal lifespan, he said.
READ: Doctor at heart of HIV data leak to stand trial in May for drug charges

“At the start, when every little was known about HIV and we were very afraid, such details were required in case we needed to enact draconian measures like enforced isolation to protect public health. These days, HIV is no different from any other chronic disease like high blood pressure or diabetes,” he said.
ADVANCES IN HIV TREATMENT
Dr Tan went even further to say that HIV is “easier to manage than diabetes”, which the Government has declared a war on.
Most people living with HIV only need a single tablet a day, he said, adding that patients who are well managed have an "undetectable viral load" - meaning that there is no measurable amount of HIV virus in their blood.
“They are fit and healthy and you can never tell that they have HIV just by looking at them. Because they have an undetectable viral load, they are also as good as non-contagious,” he said.
In fact, Dr Chan said that many are not aware that there are now more than 30 medications that can be used to treat HIV.
READ: HIV data leak: What we know about Mikhy Farrera Brochez
This is a far cry from the 1980s, when the illness had just started presenting itself and public healthcare officials had their hands full with an unknown potent virus that was fatal left untreated, he said.
Dr Leong said that over the past 10 years, there have been vast improvements in HIV treatment.
“The treatment is getting more potent and causing fewer side effects. The newer drugs are a walk in the park,” he said.
ELIMINATING STIGMA
Even with HIV becoming easier to treat and live with, the stigma against HIV-positive people remains, doctors and sufferers said.
Dr Chan said that anonymising the registry will go some way in eliminating this stigma, while Dr Tan recommended getting rid of it.
READ: 'It's very traumatic': HIV-positive individuals anxious, frustrated after MOH data leak

“Having an HIV registry is akin to the modern version of a leper colony, only worse. Because people living with HIV are of no danger to anyone around them when they are undergoing treatment,” he said.
He added that this contributes to the perception that there is forever something "wrong" with them.
“This fear of being forever on a list and under the watch of a higher authority also makes some people afraid or unwilling to come forward for HIV testing. This has serious public health implications as people who are not diagnosed with unknowingly continue to spread the disease,” he said.
He pointed to numbers that showed that in 2017, 41 per cent of HIV cases diagnosed in Singapore were done so in the late stage.
READ: Mikhy Brochez, American wanted in Singapore for HIV data leak, charged in US for trespassing
Dr Tan and the other doctors, however, cautioned that whether or not the registry is needed or should be anonymous, notification and contact tracing are still necessary to protect individuals and public health at large.
Dr Leong said: “If we don’t know the amount of care required, the numbers can get out of hand. There could be a fire burning in the back garden and we wouldn’t know it.”
Source: CNA/ja(hm)
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HealthPregnant women with severe flu more likely to have poor birth outcomes: Study
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A pregnant woman poses on Jun 8, 2018 in Vertou, western France. (Photo: AFP/Loic Venance)
01 Feb 2019 06:50AM(Updated: 01 Feb 2019 07:12AM)
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Pregnant women so sick with influenza that they're admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are more likely to have premature and underweight babies than expectant mothers with milder flu and those who don't catch flu at all, a recent study suggests.
Researcher compared birth outcomes for 490 pregnant women in five states who contracted the H1N1 strain of influenza-A in 2009, as well as 1,451 women without the flu who gave birth that year and 1,446 women without flu who gave birth the previous year.

Compared to women who either didn't get the flu or had mild cases, women admitted to the ICU with severe H1N1 infections were almost four times more likely to have premature babies and more than four times as likely to have underweight infants, the study found.
Women admitted to the ICU were also more than eight times as likely to have babies with low Apgar scores, an assessment of overall wellbeing done right after birth.
"This study supports data from previous studies that have shown increased risks for infants born to pregnant women who are severely ill with flu," said lead study author Kim Newsome of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
Severe flu infections in pregnant women are generally rare. But the increased risk they present for these poor health outcomes in babies highlights the importance of vaccinating pregnant women against the flu and treating their flu cases with antivirals early to avert severe illness, the study team writes in Birth Defects Research.

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Among women in the study with confirmed or suspected flu infections, 82 were so sick they were admitted to the ICU or died. Another 338 were hospitalised, but not in the ICU, and 70 were not hospitalised. Except for the 82 severe cases, none of the women with less-severe flu had higher rates of poor birth outcomes compared to women without flu.
This isn't surprising. But it offers fresh insight into how the illness can impact birth outcomes, Newsome said by email.
"The first and most important step for pregnant women and those who might be considering pregnancy to reduce their health risks and risks to their infants is getting a flu shot," Newsome said. "In addition, it's important for pregnant women to get prompt treatment with antiviral medications if they get sick."
Other everyday things like handwashing, avoiding close contact with sick people, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces where germs can lurk can also help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like the flu, Newsome advised.
The flu virus spreads from person to person through droplets from coughing, sneezing or talking close to infected individuals, and can be picked up from surfaces like doorknobs where these droplets can linger, according to the CDC.
Symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, aches and pains, headaches, chills and fatigue. While most people with the flu can recover without medical treatment, some people develop serious complications that require hospitalization. Pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and people with certain chronic medical problems are particularly vulnerable to flu complications.
Beyond its small size, other limitations of the study include the lack of data on individual patient characteristics like income and education that can impact birth outcomes, the researchers note.
The study also didn't adjust results based on whether women had obesity or diabetes, which can both increase the risk of preterm and underweight babies and make people more likely to experience serious complications from influenza.
Even so, the findings underscore the importance of vaccination, said Dr Julie Shakib, a pediatrics researcher at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City who wasn't involved in the study.
"The best defense against influenza is for pregnant women to get the flu vaccine as soon as soon as it is available," Shakib said by email.
This is the best tool a pregnant mother has against influenza during pregnancy and improves her likelihood of delivering a healthy infant, Shakib added. For optimal protection against influenza after pregnancy, parents and caregivers should get vaccinated every year, as should all babies six months and older.
Source: Reuters/na
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What a load of crock,,,,now ownself protect ownself,,and these assholes now say cannot check or rather hard to verify fake qualifications,,what a load of BS

Background screening increasingly difficult due to privacy laws, say private investigators
File photo of a private investigator.
PHOTO: The New Paper
DAVID SUN AND KOK YUFENG
THE NEW PAPER

Feb 01, 2019
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More job applicants are resorting to bogus degrees to boost their chances of employment even as companies step up checks on such frauds.
Private investigators and specialised firms which handle background screening of potential employees for companies here said their job is getting more difficult and some fraudulent cases may slip through.

They were commenting on how the man behind the HIV data leak, Mikhy Farrera Brochez, managed to use fake educational certificates to work as a lecturer in two polytechnics in Singapore.

The American and his Singaporean lover, Ler Teck Siang, were later convicted for their roles in cheating on two blood tests to allow the HIV-positive Brochez to pass the tests.

The Ministry of Health revealed on Monday that Brochez, who was deported after he was released from prison last April, had leaked online the personal details and HIV status of 14,200 Singaporeans and permanent residents.
READ ALSO
Doctor in HIV data leak case to stand trial for drug-related charges in May
Ler had downloaded the confidential data onto a thumb drive when he was head of the National Public Health Unit.
Mr James Loh, managing director of International Investigators, said some companies would pay up to $15,000 to check on a potential employee's qualifications.
"Some educational institutions don't entertain checks through e-mail or the phone," he said.
Some clients would pay for them to travel to the foreign university to verify the applicant's qualifications, he added.
"When it is a senior position with a six-figure annual salary, some firms don't mind spending a five-digit sum."
A potential employee with certificates found to be fake or doubtful will be rejected.
Mr Loh said some companies also screen employees who are being considered for promotion to senior positions, and they could be sacked or demoted if the checks raise concerns.
In both scenarios, most companies would handle the matter internally without involving the police, Mr Loh said.
Mr David Kang, the founder of SG Investigators, said conducting background checks has become increasingly difficult because of privacy laws.
"It's good that personal data is being protected but it means we can't check on people's backgrounds as freely," he said.
READ ALSO
American in HIV data leak arrested in US
As a result, there is no guarantee that a fraud can be identified.
Mr Kannan Chettiar, managing director of Avvanz, a background screening firm, said that based on their experience, "more than 35 per cent" of resumes have some form of discrepancy.
"Organisations have started checks not just on high-risk individuals but also new joiners and existing employees," he said.
Ms Elizabeth Fitzell, managing director of Risq Group, said "about 8 to 10 per cent" of checks turn up problematic qualifications.
"The most common scenario is of people who were in an institution, but never completed the course," she said.
She added that the only way to verify their authenticity is to check with the institution.
"One can easily create certificates online," she said. "Or you can get them from degree mills."
RECENT CASES OF DEGREE FRAUD
Degrees from Vanderbilt University, a doctorate from the Sorbonne, and a teaching certificate from Kentucky state in the United States. American Mikhy Farrera Brochez, 34, had none of these, but he had forged the certificates and used them to obtain teaching positions here over a period of eight years.
Higher Education Degree Datacheck, an official service in the United Kingdom that verifies academic degrees, lists three main types of degree fraud - bogus universities and degree mills, fake certificate websites and individual fraud.
2018
A lawyer, now 30, was fined S$10,000 last year and disbarred this year for falsifying her law degree certificate and transcript twice to improve her chances of getting a job.
2015
A business school owner here was sentenced to five and a half years in jail after he cheated some $2.2 million from hundreds of students by selling fake degree programmes.
2014
NUS was forced to relook its recruitment process after a former medicine faculty member was found to have faked his credentials. A pre-appointment review of his work by West Virginia University in 2012 revealed the fraud.
2013
A man, then 34, was jailed for a year after he was found to have bought fake degrees in human resource management from the Florida International University online for about $8,000.
2012
Hired in January 2012 as Yahoo's chief executive, Scott Thompson left the company just four months later after he was found to have embellished his academic credentials.
He claimed to have computer science and accounting degrees from Stonehill College when he only had the accounting degree.
This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.
 
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This is totally ridiculous! How can the government approve their entry permits? Shouldn’t there be some form of control or protection for the own citizens? We have certainly been too lax in our standards
 
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I don't understand why soo many articles on hiv prejudice. Those prejudice are facts, anti viral drugs r rubbish and a cash cow for drug companies n hiv is better off dead bcos n cure n they fuck around they spread their shit. Worse than flu.

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Commentary: Public attitudes of HIV have not moved beyond narratives of fear, prejudice from early years of global epidemic




CommentaryCommentaryCommentary: Public attitudes of HIV have not moved beyond narratives of fear, prejudice from early years of global epidemic
Singapore’s social acceptance of HIV still lags behind scientific progress, says Mr Rayner Tan and Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang from the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
File photo of blood being drawn during an HIV test. (Photo: AFP)
By Rayner Tan

and Hsu Li Yang
02 Feb 2019 06:29AM(Updated: 02 Feb 2019 06:30AM)
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SINGAPORE: The first diagnosis of a human immunodeficiency virus or HIV infection in Singapore was made in 1985. The incidence of HIV infections has increased every year since then until 2008.
Today, the rate of new infections has stabilised and had even started to decline over the past few years, with just 434 new infections registered in 2017. A total of 7,982 Singapore residents were registered as being HIV-positive as of end-2017, of whom 6,022 remain alive today.

HIV targets a key cell that orchestrates the body’s immune response to a large number of infections and diseases. Left untreated, all infected individuals eventually succumb after a number of years in which their immune systems progressively weaken as more of these cells are destroyed until their body is unable to fight off opportunistic infections and cancers that rarely affect healthy people.

HIV is primarily spread by unprotected sexual intercourse. Other modes including contaminated needles, mother-to-child transmission and blood transfusions are rare, especially in Singapore, due to improvements in needlestick injury protocols, better antenatal care and effective antiretroviral regimens, as well as better screening of blood donors and products.
NO LONGER A DEATH SENTENCE
Marked scientific progress has been made since the start of the global HIV epidemic all those decades ago.

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Although a cure or vaccine for HIV remains elusive, when treated, people living with HIV may achieve viral suppression or an undetectable viral load – meaning they do not have a measurable amount of HIV virus in their blood.
Advances in medical science, coupled with a regime of lifetime medication has reduced HIV infection from a death sentence to a chronic disease, with life expectancies close to that of an individual without the HIV virus.
READ: 'It's a death sentence' - HIV myths debunked

More importantly, from a public health standpoint, individuals who achieve viral suppression are at virtually zero risk of spreading HIV to others.
Evidence from three large international observational cohort studies have shown that no transmission of HIV from a sexual partner with an undetectable viral load in nearly 130,000 acts of condom-less penetrative sex.
THE STIGMA REMAINS, EVEN AMONG NURSING AND MEDICAL STUDENTS
However, progress towards social acceptance and the de-stigmatisation of HIV has lagged behind scientific progress in most parts of the world, including Singapore.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A healthcare worker draws a blood sample from a man getting tested for HIV/AIDS. (Photo: AFP/ Noah SEELAM).

Public perceptions and attitudes towards people living with HIV have not moved beyond the narratives of fear and prejudice that marked the early years of the epidemic.
In a 2007 National Behavioural Surveillance Survey, only 54.1 per cent of 1,768 Singaporean survey respondents said they were willing to care for an HIV-infected relative, while only 22.4 per cent were willing to share a meal with an HIV-positive individual.
The results of a survey on the attitudes of 80 nursing and medical students in Singapore towards HIV were highlighted in an editorial in the Annals of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore in 2009.
37.5 per cent of respondents said they would not share a house with a person living with HIV. 34 per cent believed that it was the patient’s fault that he or she had HIV. 20 per cent would not perform surgery on a HIV-positive patient.
These and other studies suggest the stigma surrounding HIV remains prevalent in Singapore, even among professionals who might be called upon to administer care to the people they so stigmatise.
WE NEED TO MOVE BEYOND THIS NARRATIVE OF FEAR AND PREJUDICE
As a hub for healthcare excellence and innovation, Singapore is well-positioned to contribute to the global fight to eradicate HIV by eliminating new transmissions and ensuring all HIV-positive individuals have access to effective treatment.
However, we must tackle this stigma because it has very real implications for HIV transmission and prevention, and may prevent us from achieving the goal of zero new transmissions of HIV in Singapore.
HIV-related stigma is a key barrier to testing for HIV, while the internalisation or anticipation of such stigma among people living with HIV may lead to a late diagnosis of HIV, poor adherence to medication, and poor mental health outcomes.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
(Photo: Unsplash/Volkan Olmez)

READ: We still fail to understand that some people are more prone to mental illness, a commentary

These negatively impact HIV prevention because early diagnosis and treatment ensures earlier viral suppression, thus rendering it non-transmissible.
The Infectious Disease Act mandates that all individuals who test positive for HIV at any healthcare provider must be registered with the Ministry of Health within 72 hours of their diagnosis.
However, many fear the repercussions being on the register may have on their career prospects, and the reactions from their friends, colleagues, and family members if they were to find out about their HIV status.
MOH subsequently introduced the anonymous testing scheme in 1991 to encourage HIV testing, and there are a total of 10 designated anonymous test sites today.
READ: Why does Singapore need an HIV registry

In order to receive care and treatment for HIV in Singapore, however, individuals who previously tested positive anonymously will still have their HIV status registered with MOH by their healthcare providers.
The only option to avoid being on the HIV registry while undergoing treatment is to obtain the treatment overseas, a luxury few can afford.
TESTING REMAINS LOW
In spite of the availability of anonymous and affordable testing, voluntary testing rates remains sub-optimal among individuals at risk of acquiring HIV in Singapore.
Only 23 per cent of new HIV infections were detected via voluntary testing in 2017. Yet, only an estimated 72 per cent of Singaporeans who were living with HIV knew about their status in 2015, according to Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor who highlighted this in her opening speech at the Singapore AIDS Conference in 2018.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A licensed rapid HIV test used in Singapore, at Dr Jeremy Chan Medical Clinic. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)

We worry that MOH’s announcement of HIV registry data leak this past week may erode the public’s trust in the integrity and confidentiality of the Singapore’s HIV registry, which in turn may further exacerbate the fear of being registered as an HIV-positive person in Singapore.
This potentially further disincentivises non-anonymous HIV testing locally, and may lead to delayed treatment among those living with HIV, with the consequence of increasing opportunities for the onward transmission of the disease.
But we also see this crisis as an opportunity for Singapore to step up efforts to de-stigmatise HIV and tackle old, hurtful narratives head on.
TACKLE OUR FEARS
The fear of being recorded in Singapore’s HIV registry speaks of a deeper anxiety over one’s own alienation from society as someone living with HIV.
It stems from an overwhelming fear of the impact of disclosure of one’s HIV status to employers, family, friends, and other loved ones. Is it any wonder concealment of one’s HIV-positive status makes more sense to those living with HIV who want to avoid the possibility of discrimination or rejection from those they love?
We must recognise that HIV does not discriminate, but people do. Our response to this incident should be one of compassion and empathy, not only for those whose data were leaked, but also for others living with HIV or the possibility that they might be HIV-positive but are too afraid to find out.
We must recognise that HIV infection is today a chronic disease of public health concern, and not a moral failing.
By doing so, we not only indirectly improve the lives of people living with HIV by destigmatising the disease, but also signal our support for the health of our loved ones and for others in our community.
It is a critical step towards the eradication of HIV in Singapore if we want to achieve that goal in our lifetime.
Rayner Tan is a PhD candidate and researcher on HIV at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore. Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang heads the Infectious Diseases Programme at the same school.
Source: CNA/sl
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