The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy described the department’s advisory as “misinformed” and “likely to mislead the public”.

“Denying or providing selective access to PrEP is bad medicine, poor practice and has no basis in public health,” the centre’s CEO, Azrul Mohd Khalib, said in a statement.

Azrul was commenting on an advisory posted on the Selangor mufti department’s website, which said prescribing PrEP to those who “practice a homosexual lifestyle” would be a form of complicity in sin.

However, it said the consumption or prescription of PrEP is a must for married couples where one of them has been infected by HIV.

The statement was in response to a question by the public on the department’s website, where the mufti was asked on the consequences to a healthcare provider who prescribed PrEP to homosexual individuals, given that it is known that such homosexual activity could increase with the use of PrEP.

Azrul said it was essential to ensure that health interventions to address public health priorities such as HIV/AIDS and most recently, Covid-19, are evidence-informed, rights-based and grounded in the realities of the communities.

“We have learned from bitter and tragic experiences of the past, that imposing beliefs, judgements, attitudes and dogma into such programmes, often brings about more harm than good.

“It might make us feel better but has no relevance. Instead, it has an impact on those communities, or worse, brings about harm and deprives them of much-needed assistance and treatment,” he said.

He said the treatment has a proven 99% rate of effectiveness in preventing HIV infection, adding that it has been available in the country since late 2017.

“We know what works and has impact, and what does not. We need to be guided by science, patient-centred care, and the experiences of the people and communities who need such services,” he said.

Azrul recommended the Selangor mufti department review its position on the issue and consult with Malaysia’s infectious diseases and public health experts to improve its understanding of the matter.

On Dec 1, the health ministry announced that it was looking to scale up the use of PrEP by making it available for free at selected public health clinics in states with high HIV prevalence starting from January 2023.