KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may have to decriminalise drug use if it wants to further prevent the spread of HIV, said Malaysian AIDS Foundation chairman Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.

Doing this would encourage drug users to step forward to be tested and treated, she said.

"We need a more balanced approach to some of these challenges," she said at a press conference to announce the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention 2013.

The event, which runs from Sunday to July 3, will gather scientists worldwide to share the latest findings on HIV/AIDS.

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