UN alarmed by increasing HIV-AIDS incidence in the Philippines

THE United Nations (UN) on Wednesday expressed alarm over the increasing number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases in the country. UN Special Envoy to Asia and the Pacific JVR Prasada Rao told the House of Representatives’ Committee on Health during a hearing that the Philippines is now facing the sub-population epidemic of HIV-AIDS. Rao added that the Philippine government should now intervene to prevent the “fast and furious prevalence” of the HIV-AIDS. Philippine National Aids Council (PNAC) Executive Director Ferchito Avelino said during the same hearing that the council needs P1.2 billion for AIDS prevention through its education and awareness campaign. “We need funds to support our program against HIV-AIDS,” Avelino said. Health authorities said there were 431 new cases of HIV in June, bringing to 2,323 the number of new cases since January 2013 and to 14,025 since the disease was detected in 1984. Of the 14,025 cases since 1984, 1,289 have become full-blown AIDS, the officials said. Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) said that from one case in every three days in 2000, HIV cases have increased to one case a day in 2007, four cases a day in 2010, seven cases a day in 2011 and nine cases a day in 2012, and a new HIV case every two hours in 2013. It said that the reported common mode of HIV transmission of all the cases in the Philippines was sexual contact and males having sex with males. “Males having sex with other males were the predominant type of sexual transmission through heterosexual contact, followed by homosexual contact, then bisexual contact,” the DOH said. It added that other common mode of transmission were through needle sharing among injecting drug users and through mother-to-child transmission. The DOH said that HIV leads to AIDS. The latter is a condition where the virus attacks and damages the immune system of the body, eventually causing death. It warned that HIV-AIDS cases would balloon to 45,000 in 2015 because of continued unsafe sex practices of Filipinos. Help of local governments to control spread of HIV-AIDS sought ALARMED by the increasing number of Filipinos afflicted with the deadly HIV-AIDS, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Wednesday urged local officials to institute measures to help control the spread of the deadly disease. Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions-TUCP, said local officials, particularly city and municipal mayors, should allocate funds, craft city or municipal ordinances and provide facilities to cater to the needs of their constituents found afflicted with HIV-AIDS. The group issued the call after the Philippine National AIDS Council and the DOH released the rapid assessment study and analysis results designed for local chief executives. Most of the victims were men who have sex with other men. The study revealed that Quezon City, Manila and Makati City top the list of cities with high incidence of HIV-AIDS. The TUCP is a member of the PNAC and co-chairman of its Committee on Planning, Partnership and Networking. The other members of the PNAC are the departments of Health, of the Interior and Local Government, and of Social Welfare and Development, and some non-governmental organizations. Seno said providing men with access to condoms is a “quick or knee-jerk and, thus, temporary, solution.” “What we need is a permanent, lasting and strategic solution.” Seno warned that if male-to-male sex behavior continues, the number of cases this year may surpass the total figure of 3,338 cases reported last year, the highest since 1984. The rapid assessment also emphasized the need for local chief executives and local city and town councils nationwide to make policy interventions by correcting misconceptions about HIV-AIDS, promoting self-risk assessment and providing access to available STD-HIV services. The study also urged local governments to prioritize the establishments of more permanent local AIDS councils, facilities for victims and health personnel. “The study points to the need for mayors and city councils to institutionalize their shared responsibility in minimizing the number of HIV-AIDS victims. By institutionalizing the HIV-AIDS policy intervention in cities and towns, the problem is insulated from partisan politics and transforms the approach to become more decisive. This is how we think the chronic and growing problem of HIV-AIDS should be addressed,” Seno added. The group said that in June 2013 alone, there were 431 new HIV-positive individuals confirmed by the STD-AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory and reported to the HIV and AIDS registry. This is 46 percent higher compared to the same period last year with 295 reported cases. From 1984 to present, there were 14,025 HIV-AIDS cases reported. More than half, or 51 percent (6,549), were in Metro Manila, while 13 percent (1,643) were in Region 4A; 9 percent in Region 7; 8 percent (1,077) in Region 3; 6 percent in Region 11; and 13 percent are from the rest of the country. The assessment identified the cities of Quezon (1,539), Manila (1,363) and Makati (712) as the top three localities in the 17 cities and one town in Metro Manila with high incidence of HIV-AIDS. They were followed by Mandaluyong (399), Pasig (388), Caloocan (354), Pasay (326), Parañaque (280), Taguig (240), Las Piñas (228), Marikina (207), Muntinlupa and Valenzuela (145), San Juan (65), Malabon (92), Navotas (38) and Pateros (16). Sexual contact remains the prominent mode of transmission (93 percent), 4 percent through needle sharing and 1 percent each through mother-to-child transmission, blood transfusion and needle-prick injury. Of the 13,036 who got the disease through sexual contact, 44 percent (5,722) were from male-to-male contacts. Forty-five percent of those surveyed in Metro Manila said condoms were not available. Others said they don’t like to use or their partner objected to using condoms.