DOH: full implementation of key strategies needed to reverse HIV-AIDS increasing trend

The Department of Health (DOH) sees the need to fully implement the four key strategies spelled out in the Sixth Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquire Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) to reverse the increasing trend of the dreaded disease in the country.

DOH Sec. Paulyn Jean Rossel-Ubial disclosed that the latest study showed around 26 new cases are registered daily or about 7,200 HIV-AIDS cases in one year in the country.

“It is really alarming because in 2008, we have only one case per day or about 360 cases a year. Eight years later, we have increased 25 times the cases in 2008,” Ubial disclosed.

Ubial disclosed that the region that has the highest number of cases is the National Capital Region (NCR), which accounts for 36 percent of the total registered HIV-AIDS cases.

She said NCR is followed by Region 4A, 18 percent; Region 3, 10 percent; Region 7, eight percent; and, Region 11, six percent. The rest of the country accounts for 22 percent of the cases.

She said majority of those afflicted with HIV-AIDS are males, which accounts for 96 percent and the rest are females. They are from the age group of 25 to 34 followed by the 15 to 24 years old.

She disclosed that the Philippines is one of the two countries in Southeast Asia that has increasing rate of more than 20 percent new HIV cases yearly. There are about 30 countries in Southeast Asia.

The health chief said the four major strategies to halt the increase in HIV-AIDS cases are the following: increase awareness and knowledge among the youths as well as access to safe sex and access to condom; improve in terms of voluntary counselling and testing; provide anti-retroviral or medications for those who tested positive; and, prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV-AIDS.

"Unfortunately, we are doing the three. We are not doing the number one, which is improving education, awareness and practice of safe sex,” Ubial said.

“In most countries of the world, condom access program is really a center point to the halt and reversal of the HIV-AIDS epidemic. Until our country accepts that, then I don’t think that we can reverse the (increasing) trend in the near future,” she added.

“That is the reality. I’m not glossing over or I don’t want to be controversial but I have to say the truth. That’s the fact and that’s the truth,” she further added. (PNA)
FPV/TPGJR

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