State, Private Groups Admit Failure in Stemming Rise of HIV-AIDS Cases in Philippines

STATE AGENCIES and non-governmental organizations have admitted failure to stem the rise of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in the run-up to the National HIV Summit on April 12.

"There has been a failure to implement the Republic Act 8504 or the AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998 of all the agencies concerned. However, we are now committed to achieve the realistic targets to control the increasing cases by strong collaboration with each other," Interior Secretary Austere A. Panadero told reporters in a briefing yesterday.

Mr. Panadero admitted that there was no strict monitor of the law’s implementation.

"We hope that after the summit, all the sectors will have a strong linkage to monitor and control the rising cases of the global pandemic," said Mr. Panadero.

According to the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), the country declared HIV and AIDS as an epidemic last year, while the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease as a pandemic since 1999.

Joane D. Corbe, PNAC health education and promotions officer, told BusinessWorld that the Philippines had a low prevalence rate of HIV-AIDS with less than 1% of the general population afflicted with the disease.

"However, since 2007 until February of this year, a sector of the population [who are infected] reached 0.99% prevalence rate," she said.

In the same event, Glenn Catubig of the AIDS Society of the Philippines the group would forge partnership with the civil society, academe and private sector for a broader effort to curb the spread of the disease.

The group is chairman of PNAC’s scientific committee. It provides information, education, prevention tools and technology to the public regarding HIV-AIDS.

According to Department of Health data as of last February, there were 130 new recorded cases of HIV, of which one is classified as full-blown AIDS.

The number of positive cases is 177% greater than the 47 cases reported in February of 2009.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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