Malaysia faces a widespread HIV/Aids epidemic that could reverse half a century of development if it fails to act aggressively against the virus, Health Minister Chua Soi Lek said today.

Chua said that while the main mode of transmission was through sharing needles, heterosexual infection was on the rise here and there was a "worrying trend" of increasing rates among women.

"The government is aware that if we do not embark on more aggressive preventive and control measures against HIV/Aids, we will face the risk of a generalised epidemic within a few years," he said.

"This may wipe out all the developmental gains that we have achieved since independence," he said in a speech to mark World Aids Day on Friday.

Chua said that a new action plan against HIV would cover prevention, treatment, care and support, and target vulnerable groups including the young, women and IV drug users.

"We hope to... halt and begin to reverse the trend of HIV/Aids in the country by 2015," he said.

The minister said Malaysia was committed to making anti-retroviral therapy affordable and accessible.

"We have taken courageous steps in 'breaking' the Patent Law by importing cheaper, generic anti-retroviral drugs," he said, adding that a locally produced three-in-one treatment would be given free to all Aids patients who needed it.

Chua said Malaysia currently has a total of 73,427 cases of HIV, among a population of almost 27 million.