KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: From what was formerly a "death sentence", HIV/AIDS is now chro-nic manageable disease.

People living with HIV/AIDS on medication can live a normal life for many years, said Dr Christopher Lee, president of the Malaysian Society of HIV Medicine.

New classes of drugs introduced in 1997 have changed the outlook of HIV/AIDS completely.

"In the last 12 years, there have been many new drugs that are better, cheaper and less toxic, resulting in less side effects," said Dr Lee.

In the early days of HIV/AIDS, a person diagnosed with the disease would have six to eight years to live. As the HIV/AIDS virus multiplies, it destroys a person's CD4 (special white blood cells) over the years.

CD4 helps human fight infections. Without it, people have no immune system.

President of Malaysian AIDS Council Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said: "The new medication stops the HIV/AIDS virus from multiplying.

"With the medication, a person's immune system will return to normal levels and he does not succumb to infections that people with a weakened immune system are at risk of."

A normal person's CD4 count is closer to 1,000 although anything above 600 is also considered healthy.

With the medication, Jeffrey (not his real name), 38, whose CD4 count was close to zero, is now a normal person.

"I couldn't walk. I was so weak, I had to be spoon fed. My family who took care of me gave up hope. They were waiting for me to die."

Within fewer than six months of taking medication, he was walking.

Today, he works as a volunteer with the Kuala Lumpur AIDS support services at Hospital Sungai Buloh.

Dr Lee and Dr Adeeba stress the importance of being consistent with the medication to prevent the virus from mutating.