Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Ateneo-made Video on HIV Awareness

2012-03-01T09:01:00.000+08:00

This video by students of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) was named Best Video Presentation by the Scientific Committee of the 2012 UP Manila-National Institutes of Health Research Forum

What to expect when you go for HIV testing

2011-09-11T08:57:00.000+08:00

Check The Love Yourself Project blog HERE.

Quick Reference Guide for Returning OFWs

2011-08-19T11:57:00.001+08:00

Description: This Quick Reference Guide for Returning OFWs is intended for returning overseas Filipino workers who are HIV-positive. The Guide lists essential legal, social, medical, spiritual, educational and financial assistance provided by government and non-government welfare organizations.

You may download the QRG at http://www.aidsphil.org/2011/07/22/quick-reference-guide-for-returning-ofws/

KA JAM: Kabataan (Youth) Jobs and Alternatives to Migration

2011-08-09T19:28:00.002+08:00

In line with the International Youth Day celebration, the MDG F Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth is organizing an event titled “Kabataan: Jobs and Alternatives to Migration” or KA JAM. It will serve as a platform for the presentation of the key youth employment and migration priorities to His Excellency President Benigno Aquino III who will be the Keynote Speaker.

When 12 August 2011
Where SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Philippines
Type Conference
Regions and countries covered Asia; Philippines
Unit responsible ILO Country Office for the Philippines
Subjects decent work, employment, youth employment, young workers

Introduction

In line with the International Youth Day celebration, the MDG Fund Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Work for Filipino Youth is organizing an event titled “Kabataan: Jobs and Alternatives to Migration” or KA JAM. This will be held on Friday, 12 August 2011, at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia in Pasay City. It will serve as a platform for the presentation of the key youth employment and migration priorities to His Excellency President Benigno Aquino III who will be the Keynote Speaker.

This event also coincides with the culmination of the International Year of the Youth. The United Nations recognizes that young people in all countries are a major human resource for development, positive social change and technological innovation. Their ideals, energy and vision are essential for the continuing development of their societies. Young people are not merely passive beneficiaries but effective agents of change. Dedicated, enthusiastic and creative, youth have been contributing to development by addressing society’s most challenging issues. In line with the United Nation’s commitment, the joint programme aims to contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) employment indicators (MDGs) by the Government of the Philippines, specifically: MDG 1 Target 1 B: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people.

Background

The Philippines is known to have a dominantly young population with 19.3 per cent of its total population of 88 million (NSO, 2007) falling between the ages 15 – 24 years old. Of this, many young Filipinos are of working age. However, unemployment in the country is largely concentrated among young workers which in 2010 comprised more than half (1.460 million or 51.1%) of the total unemployed. This resulted to an unemployment rate of 17.6 per cent which was more than twice the national rate of 7.5 per cent. Double-digit unemployment rate was also noted among the college educated at about 11 per cent. Accounting for 1.163 million or 41.1 per cent of total unemployed in 2009, most of them have high “reservation wage” and consequently can afford to be unemployed or wait for better job offers.

Education is a first step to decent work and employment opportunities a second. In the Philippines, the drop-out rates at the public secondary education level is high. It is observed that for every 10 students that enter first year high school, only four graduate and finish fourth year high school. Unfortunately, both young women and men are at risk of dropping out of school due to poverty. Out-of-School Youths (OSY) and students at risk of dropping-out (SARDO) are forced to join the labor force to provide income for their families while women are faced with traditional child-rearing and housekeeping responsibilities that have also hindered young women from completing secondary education.

Meanwhile youth comprise about 35% of all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) which translates to a significant “youth” share in the national financial inflows associated with migration. While migration brings significant economic benefits, it also entails social costs to children. Children of migrant workers are left in the care of surrogate parents and are reported to contribute to a high-drop-out rate due to a diminishing interest to finish school, work or build a career, and a tendency to be overly dependent on remittances and are enticed to join parents to work overseas. Young workers outside the country expose themselves to the risks of migration such as exploitation and human trafficking especially among women.

With the support from the Government of Spain, the Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth under the thematic window of youth employment and migration, better known as “JP YEM”, was developed by the UN Country Team agencies (ILO, IOM, UNICEF and UNFPA) in support to the Philippine Government’s vision of a productive and competitive youth. Specifically, it aims to achieve two outcomes over a period of three years: Outcome 1. Improved policy coherence and implementation on youth employment and migration through full stakeholder participation, in which the following outputs are expected and Outcome 2. Increased access to decent work for poor, young women and men.

The Joint Programme also aims to contribute to the attainment by the Government of the Philippines of the Millennium Development Goals: MDG 1 – Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; MDG 3 – Promote gender equality and empower women; and MDG 8 – Develop a global partnership for development. At the local government level, it provides direct services in the poorest regions of the country, focusing on four provinces with high incidences of out-of-school and poor youth, low enrolment rates, and where the MDGs , particularly Goal 1, are least likely to be achieved: Masbate (Region V), Antique (Region VI), Maguindanao (ARMM), and Agusan del Sur (CARAGA Region).

It is implemented in partnership with national government agencies with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as lead implementing agency, the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), National Youth Commission (NYC; the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); Provincial Governments of Agusan del Sur, Antique, Masbate, and Maguindanao; Private sector; Employers Organizations/Chambers of Commerce/Business Associations; NGOs/Workers’ Organizations; and Youth Organizations.

Rationale

One of the major strategies to achieve the joint programme outcomes is the development and implementation of an advocacy and communications plan that will help persuade key decision makers and multi-stakeholders to address the various concerns surrounding the youth, employment and migration both at the national and local government level.

In March 2011, an Advocacy and Communications Planning Workshop was conducted at the TESDA women’s center to develop a plan that would support Output 1.1 the formulation and adoption of a National Action Agenda/Plan on youth employment and migration to inform local and national development processes. This was based on the premise that the Strategy Paper on YEM being prepared by DOLE Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) will have outlined key policy priorities that would include among others: a) Efficient labor market information systems to help the youth make smarter career choices, based on a proactive exchange of information among players in the labor market; b)Responsive career coaching and training modalities as preparatory measures intended to set the stage for the youth for the world of work; c) Strengthen Local Development Opportunities by advocating local government institutions to providing the policy environment for promoting youth employment in their community; d) Youth Awareness of Workers’ Rights and the World of Work to help reduce their vulnerabilities that may affect their rights at work, access to employment, social protection and social dialogue; e) Foster active, vibrant and sustainable partnerships with the private sector in terms of sharing resources and providing opportunities for entrepreneurship, training and employment; f) Harness development gains of migration and mitigating its social costs to strengthen youth employment policies and programmes; g) Championing the Youth as Partners in Development to influence policy and programs through active participation and leadership in affairs concerning youth employment and migration.

One of the key activities identified was the conduct of a high impact event on International Youth Day on 12 August 2011. This also marks the end of the ILO’s declaration of the International Year of the Youth (2010 – 2011). This one –day event is expected to be the platform for the presentation of the key priorities that will be the foundation for the development of the National Action Plan for YEM. The event will also have topic specific breakout sessions to discuss the recommendations of the strategy paper. The event hopes to attract 500 YEM advocates from government agencies, academe, youth groups, trade unions, employer’s groups and the development community and other interested stakeholders

For further information please contact

Ms Ruth Honculada-Georget
Joint Programme Coordinator
ILO Project on Alternatives for Migration: Decent Work Opportunities for Filipino Youth
10^th Floor, GE Antonino Building
J. Bocobo corner T. M. Kalaw Streets, Ermita, Manila
Tel: +63 2 525 4483

Be the Change: A Solidarity Speech

2011-08-04T11:10:00.002+08:00

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, Manila, Philippines, May 27, 2011

By Laurindo Garcia
From The Body

June 29, 2011

The Philippines is one of the seven countries worldwide that is experiencing an alarming rise in HIV. The situation is made worse by the fact that the government is nowhere to be seen when it comes to investing in prevention, care, treatment and support services for the people who need it the most. To this day HIV services in the Philippines are heavily reliant on foreign aid.

Rising HIV infection rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people is mirrored in other countries across Asia and worldwide. Similarly, lack of political will to address the growing problem also spans across national borders. Regardless of a country's economic status, gay, bisexual men, other MSM and transgender people are persistently denied of proper health, dignity and livelihood.

The main objective of this speech was to inspire action from within the community -- not just in the Philippines but everywhere -- and to seek support from others who believe that everyone has a right to health, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

I am here today to bring greetings from the regional response to HIV. I am the coordinator for ISEAN (the Insular Southeast Asian Network for MSM, TG and HIV).

ISEAN is a regional network of community-based HIV organizations that provide services for men-who-have-sex-with-men (fondly known as MSM by some) and transgender people, covering the archipelago nations in our region.

I come with an update on the regional HIV epidemic and I unfortunately I am not the bearer of good news.

According to UNAIDS -- the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS -- when you look at the Asia Pacific HIV epidemic among the general population the trend is actually leveling off.

But there are variations in every country.

What we're seeing however is that HIV prevalence among MSM and transgender people is on the increase in a majority of Asian countries.

I've been traveling around the region recently, trying to build support for a multi-country initiative for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria to provide capacity-building for community systems. I won't go into that now, but do speak to me later if you'd like to find out about it.

In every capital city I've visited over the last month news has broken that infection rates among MSM have increased exponentially. I believe Manila is heading on the same direction.

So while we must acknowledge that the HIV virus itself does not discriminate and that there are other key affected populations at risk of HIV, the reality is that burden of HIV infection is felt heaviest among gay and bisexual men, other MSM and transgender people.

In 2008, the Commission on Aids in Asia warned that a new wave of infections was imminent, and that by 2020, fifty-percent of new infections will come from MSM and transgender populations.

But despite this grim news, the gay community, region wide, is suffering from what a friend of mine described as a "complicated relationship with omission."

Policy-makers know that HIV infection rates among gay and bisexual men are skyrocketing, and yet, countries in our region are omitting any mention of men-who-have-sex-with-men from their national strategies.

National governments in our region are failing to heed evidence and allocate budget lines for prevention, care, treatment and support services that target men-who-have-sex-with-men in annual spending -- and the Philippines is no exception.

It's as if the regional HIV response has stepped into a scene of Harry Potter movie and our policy makers are going around the halls of the ministry quietly referring to "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

How can we address the problem if we don't identify it in the first place?

I believe the situation is worse for the transgender community no recognition any in national statistics, let alone specialized services.

And yet, I've been told that HIV infection rates among transgender women are on track to be an explosive, yet hidden, epidemic.

Are we prepared for this?

Do our health systems have the capacity to deal with this situation?

Have we sufficient support structures to help the growing number of gay, bisexual and transgender people living with HIV to lead productive and happy lives?

How are we going to address the challenges faced by young gay and transgender people who face the prospect of living with HIV as they start their adult life?

Now, I have to admit, it's easy for me to stand here and point my finger at the problem.

It's easy for us all to blame the government for our woes.

It's easy for us to condemn society for the social norms that stigmatize and discriminate against people whose sexual orientation and gender identity do not fit the heterosexual status quo.

But in doing so we are absolving ourselves of responsibility. By continually diverting attention to external factors out of our control, we deny ourselves a role in making change happen.

It's time for this style thinking to end. It's obsolete, and it's nothing but a disservice to our region, our country, our communities, families, friends and loved ones.

It's time for us to see ourselves as part of the solution.

It's time for the community to come together, and demand sustainable health, livelihood and acceptance in society

If we don't do this for ourselves -- if we don't take the lead in this fight -- then no one will do it for us.

The policies of our land will not change unless, our community groups and leaders set aside their differences, come together in a unified voice and demand equal rights and protection under the constitution.

The government will not put their money whether their mouth is, unless we the people hold them accountable to delivering their promises with clear, measurable, time-bound, and well-resourced implementation plans.

Law enforcement practices will not change until, we actively seek Police participation at the discussion table when it comes time to talk about HIV prevention strategies.

Our family and friends will not see the light if we continue to hide our true selves from the people we love.

So on an important day of remembrance like today, we must also remember that the HIV epidemic will not shift, while people living with HIV refrain from having the loudest voice in the room, and remind decision makers that effective prevention strategies start with 100% treatment coverage for people living with the virus.

I mentioned earlier that burden of HIV infections is carried by gay, bisexual men and transgender people, and yet there are so few openly gay, bisexual men and transgender people living with HIV who are willing to share their story and dispel the myth that people like me are akin to lepers, and clearly, we are NOT.

Nothing will change unless more people living with HIV, especially gay men living with HIV, are ready to stand beside me and lead by example.

The choice lies with all of us to take this first step towards social change, and I am confident that once we do, many others will follow.

One of my favorite quotes of all time, is one from Gandhi where he challenged us to "BE the change we want to see in the world.

We should be actively making ourselves part of the solution.

We should be harnessing this frustration and anger that we collectively feel, and transform this into action that benefits all our communities.

We should recognize our own ability to change people's hearts and minds and proactively challenge them to think differently.

We should stand up for our brothers, cousins, uncles, friends and co-workers who would otherwise think that their sexual orientation or gender identity is a source of shame.

We should be brave enough to be comfortable in our own skin, no matter what which way you were born, or whatever your HIV status may be.

If we can take this action into our own hands, THEN we may finally be on the right path to fight HIV in our country, and in our region.

Thank you.

Laurindo is the current coordinator for two regional MSM and transgender community networks in Asia, and led the community team behind the successful multi-country MSM and transgender initiative in Round 10. He has had a diverse background in media, public service, private sector and activism and is now in the process of starting up a new regional social enterprise seeking social change through communication and technology. He can be reached at laurindo@b-change.org.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-07-19T09:24:00.002+08:00

An Invitation for Expressions of Interest as Principal Recipient of a potential HIV grant Under Round 11 of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (TGF) in the Philippines

The Philippine Country Coordinating Mechanism (PCCM) has decided in its meeting of 15 June 2011 to develop a country proposal on HIV to be submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (TGF) Round 11 call for proposals. Round 11 is expected to be launched on 15 August 2011. Based on TGF procedures, the PCCM shall select the Principal Recipient (PR) at the start of the project proposal development process to provide administrative and logistics support to the process. The PR shall put together a technical team that will write the proposal for submission to TGF by 15 December 2011. The PR shall be responsible for managing the grant, should the proposal be approved, which includes sub-granting to other sub-recipients, monitoring grant implementation against approved plans, preparing regular reports, and requesting for additional fund disbursements from TGF, after endorsement by the CCM. For more information on TGF and the PCCM, visit the web-site: http://www.philippines-ccm.org/

In this regard, the PCCM invites interested private organizations with experience and track record in managing multi-year, multi-million dollar grants to send their expression of interest to act as Principal Recipient (PR) of a potential HIV grant of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (TGF) in the Philippines. All interested parties are requested to submit the following: (i) letter of interest addressed to the “Chair, Philippine Country Coordinating Mechanism”; (ii) organizational profile; (iii) proof of registration; and, (iv) latest audited financial report. All required documentations should be submitted no later than close of business on Friday, 29 July 2011 to:

Philippine Country Coordinating Mechanism Secretariat
c/o Bureau of International Health, Department of Health
San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Manila
Fax No.: +63 2 781 8843
E-mail: ccmsecretariatphil@yahoo.com

Only short-listed organizations will be invited to make a presentation to the PCCM on 11 August 2011, for final selection.

Support the work of UNAIDS

2011-06-28T09:30:00.002+08:00

Your donation is important and can help UNAIDS fulfill its mission to lead and inspire the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the UNAIDS online donations website, which you can visit by clicking on the following link: http://donations.unaids.org/.

Through this important addition to the UNAIDS presence on the internet, anyone can now make a contribution to the organization in two easy steps. The money collected will go towards the UNAIDS core budget.

The establishment of this new facility is a first attempt to respond to the recent PCB (Programme Coordinating Board) decision requesting UNAIDS to explore diversified and additional funding streams.

Far from being a mere platform for collecting donations from private individuals, the online donations website is an extremely effective resource mobilization and communications tool for the organization, one that has the potential to give individuals an active stake in the future of UNAIDS and the numerous activities we undertake. It is therefore the responsibility of all members of the UNAIDS family to ensure that it is used to its full potential.

The Workplace: Gateway to Universal Access to HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care, and Support

2011-06-27T10:20:00.000+08:00

Commentary: An emerging epidemic

2011-06-10T09:15:00.002+08:00

By: Jonas Bagas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Friday, June 10, 2011

Thirty years since the discovery of AIDS, the world appears to be ready to look at the epidemic with a more optimistic lens: the death rate is going down in many parts of the world, thanks to innovation in anti-retroviral treatment, and there’s a global decline in new infections. This week, in a high-level meeting of more than 40 heads of states and ministers, the United Nations will set a new direction in the battle to eliminate HIV and AIDS. There will be the usual political wrangling and hostile debates over the next global political commitment on HIV and AIDS, especially on the issue of funding the global HIV response, but there is no denying that sense of hope prevailing among HIV and AIDS activists.

Unfortunately, that spirit of optimism will not reach Philippine shores. Citing government reports, the United Nations said that the Philippines is one of the only seven countries worldwide that diverged from the global trend: the country is experiencing a sharp rise in HIV infection, from one new infection a day in 2007 to five to six a day in 2011. The Department of Health’s official HIV registry is not showing an unusual rise in HIV deaths, but stories of deaths among young men (who had sex with men) due to AIDS-related complications are circulating within the gay, bisexual and transgendered community. These deaths, mostly a result of late diagnosis of HIV status and failure to access treatment, are increasing but remain undetected because of stigma: families of those who perished refuse to report the real cause of death.

We can only blame complacency and the lack of political leadership for the emerging HIV epidemic in the country. The government has been warned that the Philippines has all the necessary ingredients for a full-blown HIV epidemic, but authorities have taken false comfort from the fact that it has not reached the general population yet. That there is no large-scale HIV epidemic in the country is a product of our moral values, thus proclaimed former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a statement that captures the attitude among politicians toward the virus.

But HIV experts have warned that it is just a matter of time for the epidemic to reach the general population. Migrant Filipinos, especially women, are still considered vulnerable, but government data show that the epidemic remains concentrated: 80 percent of new infections have been transmitted through unprotected male-to-male sex among young Filipinos, mostly in urban centers (more than half of new cases are in Metro Manila); injecting drug users are the drivers of HIV infection in Cebu, and in some areas, new HIV cases are being reported among people in prostitution or sex workers. Unofficial projection by epidemiologists indicates that in five years, three out of 10 men who have sex with men and transgenders would be infected by the virus.

Countries that were able to halt their HIV epidemic have shown the importance of reversing and stopping microepidemics. It might be politically convenient to ignore the growing HIV infection among gays, bisexuals, transgenders, sex workers and drug users. The government can always resort to populist moves—conducting raids on gay-sex establishments, pursuing policies that treat condoms as evidence of criminal activities, or rounding up sex workers and drug users. It will get good media mileage, or perhaps some votes, but it won’t stop the virus from spreading.

Doing so, in fact, smacks of idiocy, a willful rejection of the growing evidence of what works and what doesn’t in addressing the HIV epidemic. Thirty years of AIDS have produced a body of lessons that could and should guide the Philippines: the importance of promoting large-scale and evidence-based safer sex interventions, not just abstinence; encouraging voluntary HIV counseling and testing; improving access to treatment; care and support services for Filipinos living with HIV and AIDS; and removing discriminatory barriers to access to HIV services, including those that stigmatize those who are vulnerable to HIV infection.

These are not rocket science, but the application of these standards is already revolutionary because of the big leap in perspective that they require from the political leadership, especially from President Aquino himself. He has no choice but to confront this legacy: ignoring it, the approach adopted by his predecessor, will only add fuel to the fire.

For years, the country’s HIV and AIDS programs have mainly been delivered by civil society groups and by government agencies that heavily rely on foreign donors. The government must step up its response by putting money and action behind its commitments to combat HIV and AIDS. It still can reverse and halt the epidemic, but the first step is to have the political will to do it.

Jonas Bagas is the civil society representative of the official Philippine delegation to the United Nations High Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS, which is taking place in New York from June 8 to 10, 2011. The meeting, which will gather more than 40 heads of state and ministers, marks the 30th anniversary of AIDS. Bagas is the vice chair of TLF Share, an NGO for the health and human rights of Filipino gays, bisexuals and transgenders.

Link:

http://opinion.inquirer.net/6005/an-emerging-epidemic

Message from the United Nations Resident Coordinator on the Stigma Fuels HIV Campaign Launch

2011-06-08T15:45:00.003+08:00

Please click on the attached video message from the United Nations Resident Coordinator.

The attached video file may be viewed using Windows Media Player.

If this page does not display properly, please follow this link to watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyY5MKUSY3A

For more information about this campaign, and HIV and AIDS, please log on to the following websites:

Stigma Fuels HIV Campaign:
www.BeStigmaFree.org

UN Cares:
www.uncares.org

UN Cares Philippines Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/UN-Cares-in-the Philippines/204343392941029

UN Plus:
www.unplus.org

UN Philippines observes International AIDS Candlelight Memorial: 25 May 2011, RCBC Plaza Lobby, Makati City

2011-05-24T15:08:00.002+08:00

Dear colleagues,

The Annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is observed worldwide every third Sunday in May. The yearly event, coordinated worldwide by the Global Health Council, remembers the lives lost to AIDS, demonstrates support for the People Living with HIV, and mobilizes community-based responses to HIV and AIDS. In the Philippines, the practice has been to hold this event within the month of May.

The United Nations in the Philippines observes this international event on 25 May 2011 (Wednesday); 9:00 am- 6:00 pm at the RCBC Plaza Lobby. In line with the year’s theme of “Touching Lives”, the event will feature two small exhibits: 1) photo and audio exhibit of “Human Soul”; and 2) Project Headshot Clinic.

A number of NGOs active in AIDS response will also be around together with volunteers mobilized by the UNV to explain the exhibit and hand out HIV related information in the Philippines.

In this regard, we would appreciate your support by getting your colleagues and friends to visit the exhibit.

Description of Exhibits:

"HUMAN SOUL": A Multi-media Exhibit on the Fights Against Discrimination
"These are common Filipinos you might have seen on the streets, without giving them a second glance. Whether elegant transsexuals, or discreet gays, as well as courageous HIV-positive individuals, they are daily victims of an invisible and non-punishable crime: discrimination.

When you look at their eyes and listen to their voices, remember that these persons could be you parent, your sibling, your child or your friend. But this person could also be you. Because discrimination doesn't only happen to others."

Project Headshot Clinic (HSC) is a brand new concept that merges profile photos online and advertising as we see campaigns, advertisements, and advocacies may easily be conveyed through our unique digitized headshots, online profile photos can be potential online billboards. Its major components are: registration, mass shooting, and mass uploading on social network web sites (as profile photo), which make HSC an effective and creative marketing tool. HSC creates curiosity and impact to those who are not yet aware or part of it.

US monitoring AIDS’ growth rate in PH, says USAID

2011-04-18T08:57:00.001+08:00

By Jerry E. Esplanada Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:15:00 04/17/2011

Filed Under: Government, Health, Diseases

MANILA, Philippines—Washington is “watching very closely” the HIV-AIDS problem in the Philippines, one of its closest allies in Asia, according to the country head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Gloria D. Steele, USAID mission director, said “the number of (HIV infections in the Philippines) is still small, but the rate of growth is problematic.”

“We’re watching that very closely and making sure our information campaign—letting people know what the implications are, what could happen, how you can prevent it—is well known,” Steele told the Inquirer.

In an interview, Steele, a Filipino-American, said: “We need to be worried about the spread of the disease. We need to be concerned, and we need to make sure that it does not spread.”

“But unlike in most countries in Africa where it’s really a big problem, it’s not yet a generalized epidemic (in the Philippines). It is limited to intravenous drug users and to men having sex with men. Basically, those two groups,” she said.

Steele said the US government was doing its part in the campaign against HIV-AIDS “in close coordination with the Department of Health (DoH).”

Between 2008 and 2010, USAID allocated $85.8 million (about P3.72 billion) for health-related projects in the Philippines, including the prevention of HIV-AIDS and emerging pandemic diseases, and the promotion of voluntary family planning.

The 6th MDG

In a report, the agency said “communication plays an integral part in an effective response to health challenges.”

USAID “works with health officials and health service providers to inform the public of appropriate health practices, signs and symptoms of common health disorders, availability of health services and national and local health policies,” it said.

With only five years to the deadline to achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the Philippines continues to fall short of its sixth MDG, which is to halt and reverse the spread of the dreaded HIV-AIDS, said Teresita Marie Bagasao, country coordinator of the United Nations Program on HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS).

Citing official reports, including from the DOH, Bagasao said that in the Philippines new infection rates were going up, not down.

In the 2010 Global AIDS report released by UNAIDS in November, the Philippines was one of seven countries that reported a more than 25 percent rise in new HIV infections between 2001 and 2009, while other countries had either stabilized or significantly lowered the rate of new infections.

Among all countries in Asia, only the Philippines and Bangladesh reported increases in HIV cases.

Unfunded

The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, leads to AIDS, short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a condition in which the body’s immune system is attacked, weakened and disabled by the virus, ultimately leading to death. In the Philippines, anti-HIV-AIDS programs “remain either unfunded or under-funded and have not been able to keep up with the change and pace in HIV transmission,” observed Bagasao.

She said “more than half of program funding comes from external sources,” like the Global Fund.

The programs “need a clear investment plan to address not only resource gaps but also sustainability of existing efforts,” she stressed.

“Overall, it is largely a health-focused response … other sectors need to step up their responses to the problem,” Bagasao said.

PRESS RELEASE: UN Secretary-General outlines new recommendations to reach 2015 goals for AIDS response

2011-03-31T15:29:00.006+08:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

In lead-up to June High Level Meeting, progress report presents overview of efforts needed to help countries achieve universal access to HIV services and zero new HIV infections, discrimination and AIDS-related deaths

NAIROBI, 31 March 2011—Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, investments in the AIDS response are yielding results, according to a new report released today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Titled Uniting for universal access: towards zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths, the report highlights that the global rate of new HIV infections is declining, treatment access is expanding and the world has made significant strides in reducing HIV transmission from mother to child. Between 2001 and 2009, the rate of new HIV infections in 33 countries—including 22 in sub-Saharan Africa—fell by at least 25%. By the end of 2010, more than 6 million people were on antiretroviral treatment in low- and middle-income countries. And for the first time, in 2009, global coverage of services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV exceeded 50%. But despite the recent achievements, the report underscores that the gains are fragile. For every person who starts antiretroviral treatment, two people become newly infected with HIV. Every day 7 000 people are newly infected, including 1 000 children. Weak national infrastructures, financing shortfalls and discrimination against vulnerable populations are among the factors that continue to impede access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services. The Secretary-General’s report, based on data submitted by 182 countries, provides five key recommendations that will be reviewed by global leaders at a UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, 8–10 June 2011. “World leaders have a unique opportunity at this critical moment to evaluate achievements and gaps in the global AIDS response,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the press briefing in the Kenyan capital. “We must take bold decisions that will dramatically transform the AIDS response and help us move towards an HIV-free generation.” “Thirty years into the epidemic, it is imperative for us to re-energise the response today for success in the years ahead,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, who joined Mr Ban for the launch of the report. “Gains in HIV prevention and antiretroviral treatment are significant, but we need to do more to stop people from becoming infected—an HIV prevention revolution is needed now more than ever.” Rebecca Auma Awiti, a mother living with HIV and field coordinator with the non-governmental organization Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya told her story at the press conference. “Thanks to the universal access movement, my three children were born HIV-free and I am able to see them grow up because of treatment access,” she said. Mobilizing for impact In the report there are five recommendations made by the UN Harness the energy§Secretary-General to strengthen the AIDS response: Revitalize the push§of young people for an HIV prevention revolution; towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care Work with countries to make HIV programmes more§and support by 2015; Promote the health, human§cost effective, efficient and sustainable; Ensure mutual§rights and dignity of women and girls; and accountability in the AIDS response to translate commitments into action. The Secretary-General calls upon all stakeholders to support the recommendations in the report and use them to work towards realizing Reduce by 50% the sexual transmission of§six global targets: HIV—including among key populations, such as young people, men who have sex with men, in the context of sex work; and prevent all new HIV Eliminate HIV§infections as a result of injecting drug use; Reduce by 50% tuberculosis deaths§transmission from mother to child; Ensure HIV treatment for 13 million people;§in people living with HIV; Reduce by 50% the number of countries with HIV-related restrictions§ Ensure equal access to education for§on entry, stay and residence; and children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS. As international funding for HIV assistance declined for the first time in 2009, the report encourages countries to prioritize funding for HIV programmes, including low- and middle-income countries that have the ability to cover their own HIV-related costs. It also stresses the importance of shared responsibility and accountability to ensure the AIDS response has sufficient resources for the coming years. The report and more information about the High Level Meeting on AIDS can be found online at: unaids.org/en/aboutunaids/unitednationsdeclarationsandgoals/2011highlevelmeetingonaids/ Contacts: UNAIDS Geneva Sophie Barton-Knott +41 22 791 1697 bartonknotts@unaids.org UNAIDS Nairobi Saira Stewart +41 79 467 2013 stewarts@unaids.org UNAIDS Nairobi Esther Gathiri-Kimotho +254 20 762 6718 gathirikimothoe@unaids.org UN Department of Public Information New York Vikram Sura +1 212 963 8274 sura@un.org UN Department of Public Information New York Pragati Pascale +1 212 963 6870 pascale@un.org

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

2011-03-24T13:24:00.002+08:00

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, coordinated by the Global Network of People living with HIV is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV/AIDS awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by a coalition of some 1,200 community organizations in 115 countries hosting local memorials to honor the lives lost and raise social consciousness about HIV. The Candlelight is also much more than just a memorial. It provides opportunities for leadership development, policy advocacy, partnerships, and improvement of community mobilization skills. With 33 million people living with HIV today, the Candlelight continues to serve as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers, and giving hope to new generations.

Mobilization & Advocacy Campaign
In addition to commemorating the lives of those lost and affected by AIDS, the Candlelight Memorial program serves as a community mobilization campaign beginning in December and ending with the international memorial in May. The campaign begins World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) when the Global Network of People living with HIV unveils the season's official poster and theme. Organizations register online for free on the Candlelight website to become official "coordinating organizations." Once registered, the Global Network of People living with HIV informs and guides coordinating organizations in the planning of their memorial activities. The Global Network of People living with HIV also works with the organizations to advocate for policy change by promoting the Candlelight Advocacy Platform during key global AIDS events throughout the year.

Coordinating Organizations
Coordinating Organizations are the community-based groups and programs organizing the Candlelight Memorial around the world. Coordinating organizations are diverse and include service organizations, academic institutions, health-care facilities, networks of people living with HIV, faith-based groups, businesses, media, and more. The Global Network of People living with HIV provides each organization with an online coordinator package including a manual and specially designed posters, web space to post event details, and membership of the campaign's global coalition. At the end of their memorials in May, coordinating organizations submit a brief final report online detailing what happened at their activities and the impact of the events on their communities.

The Memorials
Memorials range from small community vigils to multi-day national commemorations. In addition to remembrance, many coordinating organizations use the Candlelight Memorial as an opportunity to promote local AIDS services, encourage education and community dialogue, and advocate for the advancement of public policy. Memorials often include lighting of candles, marches, speeches, dramatic performances, spiritual and cultural rituals, and a safe space for interaction and community engagement. To kick-off the worldwide memorial events, the Global Network of People living with HIV will release a press statement to all major media. In 2011 a live Opening Ceremony will not be possible.

Regional & National Leadership
Leadership by people living with HIV/AIDS and those affected by the disease is an important part of the Candlelight Memorial program. The Global Network of People Living with HIV works year-round to achieve its mission in close partnership with the International Advisory Board, a board of regional coordinators representing each world region where the program takes place. A set of national coordinators lead the Candlelight in their countries, working with community coordinating organizations to cultivate their community events. Throughout the year, the Global Network of People Living with HIV supports exchange between regional and national coordinators.

Candlelight Calendar
October: Registration Opens
December: Start of mobilization campaign
May (Third Sunday): Worldwide Candlelight Memorial & Opening Ceremony

Source: http://www.candlelightmemorial.org/about_us/

"GMA News Investigates" looks at rising cases of HIV in PHL on SONA

2011-03-23T15:33:00.001+08:00

Kara David reports on the rising cases of HIV in the Philippines for "GMA Channel 7”, a regular special reports segment on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho.

UNAIDS/UNDP/WHO concerned over sustainability and scale up of HIV treatment

2011-03-21T14:34:00.002+08:00

Press release

UNAIDS, UNDP and WHO encourage countries to use the flexibilities as set out in the TRIPS agreement to lower costs and improve access to HIV treatment

GENEVA, 15 March 2011—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are deeply concerned about the long-term sustainability of access to affordable HIV treatment.

In a new policy brief launched today, UNAIDS, UNDP and WHO urge countries, where appropriate, to use the intellectual property and trade flexibilities set out in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS agreement and public health, in order to reduce the price of HIV medicines and expand access to people most in need.

“We are seriously concerned about the future of HIV treatment programmes,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “Only about one third of people in need have access to treatment. In the current economic climate even sustaining that over the long-term will be a challenge. Countries must use all the means at their disposal, including the TRIPS flexibilities, to ensure sustainability and the significant scale up of HIV services to reach people most in need.”

At the end of 2009, nearly 15 million people were estimated to be in need of antiretroviral treatment for HIV and 5.2 million people had access to the life-saving therapy.

Over the last 10 years the annual cost of a first-line antiretroviral regimen for low-income countries decreased by almost 99%––from more than US$ 10 000 per person in 2000 to less than US$ 116 for the least expensive WHO-recommended first-line regimen in 2010. However, prices are still too high for many low- and middle-income countries, especially for second-line regimens.

"Millions of people in developing countries now depend on a steady supply of affordable first-line treatment for HIV. If their treatment is interrupted, which can lead to drug resistance, these patients will have to switch to a second-line regimen. That can be at least six times more expensive than the first-line regimen," said Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO's HIV/AIDS Department. "Making full use of trade flexibilities and other cost reduction strategies for quality medicines is now more important than ever."

The challenge is further exacerbated by an uncertain economic climate. In 2009, funding for HIV was lower than in 2008. This is putting current treatment programmes under increased strain because of reduced budgets and competing priorities. In addition, proposed bilateral and regional free trade agreements could limit the ability of developing countries to use the TRIPS flexibilities. Governments in both developed and developing countries should ensure that any free trade agreements comply with the Principles of the Doha Declaration.

Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of UNDP’s HIV Practice said, “Using TRIPS flexibilities will allow countries to issue compulsory licences and to use other mechanisms provided by the TRIPS Agreement and Doha Declaration to obtain access to affordable generic antiretroviral medicines. This means a country could produce generic medicines at a lower cost or, if it does not have manufacturing capacity, import lower-cost, generic medicines from another country.”

Brazil issued a compulsory license for efavirenz through the TRIPS flexibilities which brought the price down by more than two-thirds, from US$ 1.60 per dose to US$ 0.45 for the generic version. Such price differences have enormous implications for the ability of national authorities and other service providers to deliver antiretroviral treatment to people in need.

Despite the opportunities provided by the TRIPS flexibilities, many countries have yet to amend their laws to incorporate them. UNAIDS, UNDP and WHO will continue to support countries, on their request, to increase access to treatment and provide technical assistance to implement the TRIPS flexibilities to scale up access to antiretroviral medicine.

UNAIDS and WHO launched the Treatment 2.0 initiative in 2010 to accelerate access to cheaper, more effective and tolerable drug combinations and diagnostics. Efforts must be maintained to spur much-needed innovation in developing new medicines and to support new intellectual property approaches. Incorporating and using the available TRIPS flexibilities will also be key to expanding access to HIV treatment in the coming years.

UNICEF: Investing in adolescents can break cycles of poverty and inequity and reduce risk of HIV

2011-03-18T11:46:00.004+08:00

UNICEF launches 2011 State of the World's Children Report, 'Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity'

Manila, Philippines - Investing in the world’s 1.2 billion adolescents aged 10-19 now can break entrenched cycles of poverty and inequity, and reduce the risk of HIV in the Philippines, said UNICEF, launching its 2011 State of the World’s Children report entitled ‘Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity’.

Strong investments during the last two decades have resulted in enormous gains for young children up to the age of 10. The 33 per cent drop in the global under-five mortality rate (nearly 50% in the Philippines) shows that many more young lives have been saved and millions of children now benefit from improved access to safe water and critical medicines such as routine vaccinations.

On the other hand, there have been fewer gains in areas critically affecting adolescents. More than seventy million adolescents of lower secondary age are currently out of school. In the Philippines, only about 60% of children of secondary school age ever attend. Without education, adolescents cannot develop the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the risks of exploitation, abuse and violence that are at height during the second decade of life.

“Adolescence is a pivot point – an opportunity to consolidate the gains we have made in early childhood or risk seeing those gains wiped out,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. “We need to focus more attention now on reaching adolescents -- especially adolescent girls -- investing in education, health and other measures to engage them in the process of improving their own lives.”

Adolescence is a critically important age. It is during this second decade of life that inequities and poverty manifest starkly. Young people who are poor or marginalized are less likely to make the transition to secondary education during adolescence, and they are more likely to experience exploitation, abuse and violence such as domestic labour and child marriage – especially if they are girls.

The vast majority of today’s adolescents (88 per cent) live in developing countries. In the Philippines, adolescents comprise almost 20 million of the population or roughly 22% (2007 census). This report catalogues, in heart-wrenching detail, the array of dangers adolescents face: early pregnancy and childbirth, a primary cause of death for teenage girls; the pressures that keep 70 million adolescents out of school; exploitation, violent conflict and the worst kind of abuse at the hands of adults.

In the Philippines, about 1.4 million young women and men between 15 and 24 years of age were unemployed accounting for 51 per cent of the total unemployed (2008). An increasingly technological labour market requires skills that many young people do not possess. This not only results in a waste of young people’s talents, but also in a lost opportunity for the communities in which they live. In many countries, large teenage populations are a unique demographic asset that is often overlooked. By investing in adolescent education and training, countries can reap a large and productive workforce, contributing significantly to the growth of national economies.

Adolescents and HIV risk in the Philippines
In the Philippines, one third of new HIV infections are occurring among young people 15-24 years of age increasing 10-fold from 2007 to 2010.

Vanessa Tobin, UNICEF country representative said: “ There is no doubt that HIV + AIDS in the Philippines has an adolescent face. We know from research and findings around the world that youth need sound and accurate information on sexual and reproductive health to protect them from teen pregnancy, early marriage, gender-based violence, risky social and sexual behaviours, and STIs and HIV. We cannot be complacent any longer about the rate of new HIV infections. Infections in the Philippines are increasing at an alarming rate.”

Tobin added: “The Philippines has led the south east Asian region in recognising and promoting adolescent rights and giving young people a voice. It is now important to listen to those voices and respond to adolescents need to receive clear, accurate information on protecting themselves from STIs and HIV. ”

To enable adolescents worldwide to effectively deal with these challenges, targeted investments in the following key areas are necessary:

• Investing in education and training so that adolescents have the means to lift themselves out of poverty and contribute to their national economies;
• Advocating for expanded opportunities for youth to participate and voice their opinion, for example in national youth councils, youth forums, online activism and other avenues which enable adolescents to make their voices heard.
• Promoting laws, policies and programs that protect the rights of both children and adolescents and enable them to overcome barriers to essential services

The report concludes that young people must be given the tools they need to improve their own lives. Only then will we foster a generation of economically independent citizens who are fully engaged in civic life and able to actively contribute to their communities.

“Millions of young people around the world are waiting for a greater action by all of us,” said Lake.

For further information, to arrange an interview or to obtain a copy of the report, please contact:
Angela Travis, UNICEF Philippines
Tel +63 917 8678366, atravis@unicef.org

Youngblood- Positive

2011-03-17T14:35:00.003+08:00

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:52:00 03/16/2011

Filed Under: Health, Diseases

I WAS diagnosed as HIV positive a couple of months ago, and my perspective on life changed dramatically. Truly, we cannot be in complete control of everything. Getting such a diagnosis really changes you. In one instant, your life and the lives of those around you turn 180 degrees.

You can respond in two different ways: One is negatively, by either being in denial, or feeling very bad and blaming God, forever ranting, and eventually ending up very depressed. People who react this way think that their life is over, and there’s no future to look forward to anymore, and some end up committing suicide. Or you can respond positively and in a pro-active way. You consult the doctors, take your medicines, and live a relatively long and fulfilling life.

When I was told I was HIV positive, my whole view of the world and of my experiences changed. I don’t want to waste my life anymore. I seize every opportunity to be happy. I want to live a meaningful life—a relatively shorter life, yes, but a more meaningful one.

It is a blessing in disguise. I just need to reprogram my thinking, to learn how to look at things differently. I have never been happier. Knowing that your days are numbered (somewhat) makes a whole lot of difference.

I have a strong support system in my family and closest friends. To them, I am very thankful, and of course, to God, and the universe, for eventually, slowly, making everything fall into place. Now, I can say that I know what my life’s meaning is, and the reason I am here. I know whom and what I am living for.

I am very healthy now, thanks to God, the doctors, the medicines, and those who know my condition.

Many recent scientific studies say that if you start treatment at around 20 years old and it works, and you are still in the latent stage, and you live a relatively healthy and stress-free life, HIV will cut your life span by just about 10 years. So having HIV is not much of a death sentence after all.

Those who are scared to have themselves tested, shouldn’t feel that way. It is not the end of the world, as many would think. You can choose to face the reality now, or just die without even giving a fight. You can either be in denial forever, or you can face it and have it treated. You can postpone and postpone having yourself tested, or you can do it now. But there’s no other day but today to do it.

Another advantage of having yourself tested is that if you are indeed positive, you start treatment early. If you tested early, the prognosis (disease progression or outcome) is really good. But if you are diagnosed, say, 8 or 10 years after the virus entered your system, then you are likely to get a real death sentence, with all sorts of opportunistic infections manifesting themselves.

It’s time to turn our lives around, guys. Be brave. Get on your feet and have the courage to have yourself tested, and show that you love yourself indeed, and that you are socially responsible. You don’t want to be sleeping around, just passing the virus on to everyone you have sex with.

If you have yourselves tested and you turn out to be negative, you get rid of perpetual paranoia and you are given another chance to be more cautious.

And if you are positive, well, live life. You are not alone. I am okay. I have never felt better in my life.

And the medicines are free, yes, free. There are funds from the government and from the rest of the world. The expenses for treatment are therefore minimal.

An HIV test only costs P200 to P300 in government hospitals. Check out the San Lazaro Hospital, the Philippine General Hospital, or the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Please, let us all be responsible.

If you are positive, it is not the end of the world. It may actually be the beginning of a better, more fulfilling life for you.

What are the symptoms? Well, you really wouldn’t have symptoms. Once the virus enters your body, you will feel a bit feverish and be a little weak. It’s just like you have a common flu. Then after a few days, these flu-like symptoms will disappear. You will then be asymptomatic (without any symptoms) for approximately 8 to 10 years. This means that you will not feel anything wrong with you. You will seem very healthy, to yourself and to those around you. Therefore, you wouldn’t know you have it, until after the 8-10 year period, and then your immune system is already compromised, unable to protect you against all sorts of infections.

The important lesson here is that you really wouldn’t know merely by looking and asking whether a person is HIV positive or not. The most alarming thing is that many people are infected with the virus but they do not know it precisely because there are no symptoms. This, coupled with the fact that they are hesitant to have themselves tested, means they will continue to spread the virus. And it become a vicious cycle.

It is best to have yourself tested so you know the real score.

If you have questions, or you want to learn some more about my experience, reach me through: livingwithit23@yahoo.com. This is also my YM! account. And here is my cell-phone number: 09279268855.

Ian, 23, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines. He wrote this piece to promote greater awareness of HIV/AIDS and encourage early testing.

source: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20110316-325849/Positive

Job Opening: Technical Coordinator

2011-03-11T10:53:00.002+08:00

“Hiring of a Technical Coordinator to Support the Conduct of Operations Research in Integrating Male Sexual Health Services in the Local Health Systems”

Rationale

The complexity of sexual behaviors of Filipino men continue to impact to national HIV situation. While past achievements of prevention programmes demonstrated effectiveness, a sustained model of provision of spectrum of services from prevention, case detection and treatment and care that is effective, delivered in a non-stigmatised environment is wanted.

Objectives

To contribute to the reduction of HIV risk taking behavior among MSM by mainstreaming or linking male sexual health services to health services of Manila City and Quezon City Philippines

Specific Objectives of this TOR

1) To support the actual conduct of the Operations Research on Integrating Sexual Health into Local Health Systems

2) Develop/draft the operational guideline and capacity-building plan for health service providers, including community-based organizations for planned scale-up

Please forward your concept notes with budget and time line to AIDS Society of the Philippines, 2/F OTM Building #71 Sct Tuazon st. South Triangle Quezon City 1103 or aidsphil@skybroadband.com.ph. Deadline of submission is March 18, 2011.

Prevention Revolution

2011-02-16T07:34:00.002+08:00

The prevention revolution is about increasing knowledge; it's about safer sex and respectful relationships. It's about clean needles for people who inject drugs, and it's about social change. But most importantly the prevention revolution is about you.

More than 7,000 people are infected with HIV every day, 80 % through unsafe sex. That’s why for this Valentine’s Day, we’re asking you to pass on this simple but important message to your friends: “Love Safely”.
Tag your friends in the #LoveSafely Valentine’s Day card or share it to your wall, and join the #LoveSafely conversation on Twitter on Valentine’s Day 14 February 2011!

Filipino bishops to be proactive against HIV

2011-01-28T09:14:00.003+08:00

Steve Kraus, director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, gives bishops an update of the HIV/AIDS situation in the Philippines

By Sean Salvador, Manila

Filipino Catholic bishops wore red ribbon lapel pins on Thursday as they vowed to play a proactive role in the fight against HIV/AIDS and prevent discrimination against those living with the disease.

The bishops made their pledge in a meeting with Steve Kraus, director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific.

They said their coordination with Kraus does not mean that the Church also encourages the use of condoms in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“The Church has done remarkable things in all parts of the world and these include the years of prevention, treatment, support and care for the people living with HIV,” Kraus said.

“Here in the Philippines, it’s crucial and logical that you work closely with the Church… this is a good sign that we will intensify our collaboration and work even close together,” he said.

Kraus said the four-hour meeting “was significant” and there was no debate on controversial issue such as condom use. “It is more about acceptance of people infected or living with HIV,” Kraus said.

By promoting community solidarity, the UNAIDS official said, the Church can prevent new HIV infections and ensure that those infected are treated with dignity and respect.

“We have to welcome people living with HIV into our homes and into our parishes so that we can better understand their world and for them to understand our world,” Kraus said.

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said that while the Church considers condom use can be morally justified in “certain cases,” it is not the main solution to a “behavioral problem.”

“Our support is selective, which means to say we’ll help in raising awareness to the people, and address stigma and discrimination,” said Archbishop Lagdameo, former president of the Catholic bishops’ conference.

Members of the CBCP are in Manila this week for their plenary assembly that will start on Saturday.

Source: http://www.ucanews.com/2011/01/27/filipino-bishops-to-be-proactive-agsinst-hivaids/

7 out of 100 HIV-positive Pinoys are OFWs - DOH

2011-01-18T15:35:00.002+08:00

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED/CORRECTED) – The Department of Health (DOH) has released new data on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) in the Philippines.

Based on the data released by the DOH and the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry, 7 out of 100 HIV positive are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

This is lower than the data in 2006.

However, the number of OFWs affected may not be accurate since not all HIV/AIDS positive have been documented.

"Paano pa yung mga hindi documented o mga TNT na infected ng HIV-AIDS," said Dr. Chito Avelino, director of the Philippine National AIDS Council Secretariat.

Still, according to the data, of the 160 OFW HIV/AIDS positive, 83% were men and 18% were women.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) challenged the Philippine government to intensify its campaign against the spread of HIV-AIDS to protect its Filipino workers.

The group said that AIDS preventive education must be included in the seminars that OFWs undergo before leaving the country for work abroad.

“Nakakalungkot ang bilang na ito na tinatamaan ang mga Pinoy ng HIV/AIDS,” said Rafael Mapalo, TUCP National spokesperson.

For its part, the DOH said the campaign to educate OFWs on the use of condoms for protection needs to be strengthened to prevent the disease from further spreading.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/01/11/11/7-out-10-ofws-positive-hiv

AIDS advisory body to lobby for stronger law

2011-01-11T09:16:00.001+08:00

Business World, Philippines
09/01/2011

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH)-Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) is lobbying for a new HIV/AIDS prevention bill that will advocate higher budget for PNAC and anti-HIV programs of its 17 member agencies.

PNAC will be providing inputs for the measure, which will be sponsored upon resumption of Congress, said Dr. Ferchito L. Avelino, PNAC secretariat executive director.

"It will be faster to pass a new bill than to make amendments to the old law," he told BusinessWorld in a phone interview yesterday.

He added the bill will be "an opportunity to enrich the programs against HIV/AIDS (human immunovirus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome), given the new trend in the epidemic."

According to the Philippine HIV/AIDS Registry, HIV infections are on the rise, with five new HIV cases per day.

In the first 10 months of 2010, there were 1,305 new HIV infections compared with 835 for the whole of 2009. If the trend continues, there will be an estimated 46,000 cases by 2015.

This is contrary to the country’s pledge in 2000, as part of its UN Millennium Goals, to halt and reverse the rate of infections by 2015. Moreover, apart from Bangladesh, the Philippines is the only other Asian nation reporting a rise in incidence rate.

Mr. Avelino said the new bill, which will supplant the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998 (Republic Act 8504), will directly address HIV/AIDS with more "aggressive" provisions.

The original law emphasized public awareness campaigns, assuring basic health and social services for individuals with HIV, promoting universal precautions in practices and procedures that carry the risk of HIV transmission, eradicating conditions that aggravate the spread of the infection, and ensuring that the human rights and civil liberties of HIV/AIDS patients are not compromised.

Prominent features of the new bill, meanwhile, include specified funding of up to P20 million for the operations of PNAC and its member agencies.

"We have a budget, but not necessarily for the member agencies. In the new bill, it will specifically state that each member agency will get a portion of the budget.

"And although we’re entitled to P20 million, in the last five years we’ve only had a running budget of P9 million. We’re still lobbying for the P20 million," said Mr. Avelino.

He was referring to the original PNAC budget of P20 million -- funded through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) purportedly for additional antiretroviral drugs (ARV) in 2005 -- which was reduced the following year to P9 million.

While admitting they will have to prove absorptive capacity of such a large sum, he maintained that the current budget is simply insufficient.

Apart from which, the new bill not only advocates HIV/AIDS education, particularly on preventive measures, it also seeks to provide a budget for condoms and other prophylactic devices and make these freely available to at-risk populations.

"It’s more aggressive. This is a controversial issue, but the Pope’s recent statement on condom-use [in terms of HIV/AIDS prevention and for ‘discordant couples’] has given a big boost to the campaign," he said.

It should be noted, however, that the Senate retained only P8 million for the procurement of condoms from the initial P880 million allocated for various contraceptives in the DoH budget.

Yet Mr. Avelino is optimistic that with help of legislators, the new bill will be filed upon the resumption of session, and favorably assessed.

He said Akbayan party-list Rep. Arlene "Kaka" J. Bag-ao will be sponsoring the bill in the House, and the PNAC will be approaching Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in the hopes that he will sponsor a counterpart measure.

Sought for comment, Ms. Bag-ao’s camp said they "offer support for the HIV/AIDS prevention advocacy" but would neither confirm nor deny her sponsorship of any new bill.

Ms. Bag-ao is the principal author of the Reproductive Health Bill, of which one out of 10 components pertains to HIV/AIDS prevention.

"We continue to lobby for the RH Bill, but much of it has become too politicized and we feel that this new bill will have an easier passage," said Mr. Avelino.

PNAC was created in 1992 by Executive Order 39 as an advisory body to the office of the President on all matters related to the disease.

It was reconstituted under Republic Act 8504 as the central advisory, planning and policy making body on the prevention and control of HIV and AIDS in the country.

It acts as a national coordinating body composed of 26 members from the government, civil society and organizations of people living with HIV. -- Johanna Paola D. Poblete

Mandaluyong asks call centers to hold AIDS seminars for workers

2011-01-07T14:11:00.001+08:00

By CARLO SUERTE FELIPE
January 3, 2011, 5:57pm

MANILA, Philippines — Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin Abalos on Monday said he has asked call center companies to have their employees undergo lectures on HIV and AIDS.

Abalos said the move is part of their intensified campaign against the spread of HIV and AIDS within the city. The City Government has included the lecture on HIV and AIDS as a requirement for the issuance of worker's permit.

“I have called all the personnel managers of call centers and told them about this. In fact, what I am worried about are those at the college level. Statistics show that most HIV victims are the youth aged 18 to 28 years old,” he said.

Dr. Camarines Pecos, City Health Officer head, said that in 2010, 206 people in Mandaluyong City were tested for HIV and two individuals were positive.

"In 2007 up to 2009, 289 people were tested and five came out positive. One of those five died of AIDS in 2009. The campaign is effective for encouraging people to voluntarily undergo tests,” Camarines said.

He added that according to the latest data from the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry, HIV infection within the country has risen up to three cases per day compared to two cases daily in 2009.

Abalos has instructed all barangay captains and newly elected members of the Sangguniang Kabataan to focus the HIV-AIDS campaign on the youth within respective areas.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/296236/mandaluyong-asks-call-centers-hold-aids-seminars-workers

Philippines’ HIV/AIDS problem worries UN

2011-01-03T12:34:00.002+08:00

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 13:49:00 01/02/2011 Filed Under: Health, Diseases, Philippines - Regions

MANILA, Philippines—On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most alarming, the HIV-AIDS problem in the Philippines is now "five nationally."

But it is "already eight to nine in specific sites (nationwide) mainly associated with officially-reported HIV prevalence," according to Teresita Marie Bagasao, country coordinator of the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

At the national level, "only those who are aware of the situation have expressed grave concern over the sharp increase in reported new HIV infections."

"But most are not alarmed, possibly due to lack of visible information, as well as being lulled into a false sense of security by the average national HIV prevalence of under 0.1 percent," Bagasao told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

However, "some places (nationwide) that have reported more than four percent to as much as 53 percent HIV prevalence among its most-at-risk groups are alarmed and are actively pursuing solutions to address their situation, described as concentrated epidemics," she said.

With only five years into the deadline to achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the country continues to fall short of its sixth MDG, which is to halt and reserve the spread of the dreaded HIV-AIDS disease, Bagasao emphasized.

Citing official reports, Bagasao disclosed that here, new infection rates were going up, not down.

"In the 2010 Global AIDS report released by UNAIDS in late November, the Philippines was one of seven nations in the world which reported over 25 percent in new HIV infections between 2001 and 2009, whereas other countries have either stabilized or shown significant declines in the rate of new infections," she noted.

Among all countries in Asia, only the Philippines and Bangladesh were now reporting increases in HIV cases, with others either stable or decreasing, said Bagasao.

Late last year, UNAIDS also reported that the number of new cases of HIV-AIDS around the world had dropped by about one-fifth over the past decade.

For its part, the Department of Health had reported there were 1,305 confirmed new HIV infections during the first 10 months of 2010, compared with 835 for the whole of 2009.

Sex between men accounted for nearly 80 percent of all the 2010 cases, and more than half of those infected were aged between 20 and 29.

The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, leads to AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, a condition in which the body's immune system is attacked, weakened, and disabled by the virus, ultimately leading to death.

Aside from the increasing number of HIV cases, there are other factors contributing to the problem, said Bagasao: "Continued risk behaviors and pervasive misconceptions among most-at-risk (sectors) despite seemingly high knowledge point to inadequacy of current behavior change interventions in converting knowledge to behavior; and the stigma attached to AIDS, which is possibly linked association with socially-unacceptable behaviors, as well as discrimination actually experienced by people living with HIV."

The UNAIDS official pointed out that "although the national AIDS response is backed by Republic Act 8504, or the National AIDS Law, the country, through the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), has yet to define its prevention strategy and set standards of quality."

"Programs remain (either) unfunded or under-funded and have not been able to keep up with the change and pace in HIV transmission...More than half of program funding come from external sources. The program needs a clear investment plan to address not only resource gaps but also sustainability of existing efforts," said Bagasao.

Overall, it is "still largely a health-focused response...Other sectors need to step up their response."
Bagasao cited a UN General Assembly progress report on the Philippines, released in April 2010, which "indicated that programs have not reached set universal access targets of getting to at least 60 percent of at-risk groups with prevention programs."

There was also a "general lack of awareness, possibly linked to inadequate communication programs to sensitize stakeholders on this issue."

Based on the assessment of UNAIDS, PNAC has also made some notable accomplishments, like the "passage of RA 8504, the well-articulated AIDS Medium-Term Plan 4, commitment to work with civil society, including people living with HIV-AIDS, and the holding of the recent AIDS summit," among others.

Last month, PNAC launched its AIDS Medium-Term Plan (AMTP5) for 2011 to 2016, which UNAIDS said would "hopefully bring back on track the country's response to MDG 6."

"AMTP5 has to be operationalized and implemented," said Bagasao.

For its part, UNAIDS "will continue to harness a coordinated UN support to government and non-government sectors, both at national and local levels, to strengthen response," she said.

"MDG 6 should be seen as part of the whole MDGs that countries have to work towards and show significant progress by 2015. As other countries have shown, five years can spell a difference if the adequate investments in the right programs are put in place now. In a sense, 2011 ushers in the countdown to 2015," Bagasao added.

In June, the UN Millennium Campaign announced that the Philippines did not make the list of 20 countries that made the most in achieving the MDGs because the government was off-track in 40 percent of the 21 indicators in attaining the MDGs.

According to the campaign's report card, the 20 nations that have made the most overall progress on achieving the MDGs were: Benin, Mali, Ethiopia, Gambia, Malawi, Vietnam, Uganda, Nepal, India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Honduras, Mauritania, Ghana, China, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Togo.

Eleven of the 20 countries are among Africa's poorest states.

The Philippines' performance in meeting its eight MDGs has remained "generally low," according to Renaud Meyer, UN Development Program country director.

Meyer told a recent public forum that "accelerating progress to attain the MDGs requires increased resources to deliver what has been promised to those for whom the MDGs are not a reality."

The MDGs are international development goals that all 192 UN member-states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by 2015.

Aside from fighting HIV-AIDS, malaria and other killer diseases, the other MDGs are eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110102-312124/Philippines-HIVAIDS-problem-worries-UN

UN Secretary-General's Message: Human Rights Day, 10 December 2010

2010-12-13T11:10:00.002+08:00

Human rights are the foundation of freedom, peace, development and justice -- and the heart of the work of the United Nations around the world.

Laws to protect and promote human rights are indispensable. But quite often, progress comes down to people… courageous women and men… striving to protect their own rights and the rights of others… determined to make rights real in people’s lives.

It is these human rights defenders to whom we dedicate this year’s observance of Human Rights Day.

Defenders are a diverse group. They might be part of a civil society organization, a journalist or even a lone citizen, spurred to action by abuses close to home.

But they all share a commitment to expose wrongdoing, protect the most vulnerable and end impunity. They stand up, speak out -- and today they tweet -- in the name of freedom and human dignity..

Human rights defenders play a vital role in the fight against discrimination. They investigate violations and help victims gain justice and support.

Far too often, their work entails tremendous risk.

Defenders are harassed, stripped of their jobs and wrongfully imprisoned. In many countries, they are tortured, beaten and murdered.

Their friends and family members are also subjected to harassment and intimidation.

Women human rights defenders face additional risks, and therefore need additional support.

This Human Rights Day is an occasion to salute the courage and achievements of human rights defenders everywhere – and to pledge to do more to safeguard their work.

States bear the primary responsibility to protect human rights advocates. I call on all States to ensure the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly that make their work possible.

When the lives of human rights advocates are endangered, we are all less secure.
When the voices of human rights advocates are silenced, justice itself is drowned out.

On this Human Rights Day, let us be inspired by those seeking to make our world more just. And let us remember that everyone -- no matter their background, training or education -- can be a human rights champion.

So let us use that power. Let us each be a human rights defender.

Ban Ki-Moon

Source: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/2010/sg.shtml

124 donated blood units found HIV positive—party-list lawmaker

2010-11-30T08:19:00.001+08:00

INQUIRER.net First Posted 13:27:00 11/28/2010 Filed Under: Health, Diseases, Government

MANILA, Philippines—At least 124 units of donated blood were found HIV positive in the 10 months to October this year, a member of Congress disclosed over the weekend.

Citing a Department of Health report, LPGMA (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers’ Association) Party-list Representative Arnel Ty said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine confirmed that the donated blood units were HIV positive.

In a news release, Ty said the report was based on information from the National Voluntary Blood Safety Program, which monitors the purity of donated blood.

The tainted blood units did not necessarily come from 124 donors since one contributor can give more than one unit, according to Ty.

Ty joined other members of Congress in welcoming Pope Benedict XVI's recent remarks endorsing the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS.

"We expect the Pope's sentiment to figure prominently in House deliberations on the reproductive health bill," he said.

Ty said the discovery of the contaminated blood units did not pose any threat to public health, as these were filtered out precisely due to existing safeguards.
"Nonetheless, the increasing number of diseased blood units found betrays the menacing spread of HIV in the country," he said.

Ty said the 124 donated blood units found HIV positive from January to October already surpassed the 89 similarly infected units detected in the 12 months of 2009. In the whole of 2008, he said 74 donated blood units were found HIV positive, more than double the 30 similarly contaminated units retrieved in 2007.

Ty said the National HIV & AIDS Registry "has made it very clear that donors of the HIV positive blood units may or may not be in its record."

The registry lists a total of 5,729 diagnosed cases as of end October, although the actual number is believed to be much higher.

Ty pointed out that HIV surveillance system remains passive because compulsory testing is unlawful under the 1998 AIDS Prevention and Control Act.

Section 16 of the law states: "Compulsory HIV testing as a precondition to employment, admission to educational institution, the exercise of freedom of abode, entry or continued stay in the country or the right to travel, the provision of medical service or any other kind of service or the continued enjoyment of said undertaking shall be deemed unlawful."

The law fully protects the human rights and civil liberties of persons suspected or known to be infected with HIV.

Ty said diseased blood units are nonetheless getting detected because under the law, legal consent to HIV testing is considered having been given when a person volunteers or freely agrees to donate blood, organ, or tissue for transfusion, transplantation, or research.

News Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101128-305790/124-donated-blood-units-found-HIV-positiveparty-list-lawmaker

Photo source: http://donser.com

World AIDS Day: Light for Rights

2010-11-26T09:05:00.003+08:00

December 1 is World AIDS Day (WAD), an annual event that raises awareness about the global epidemic of HIV and AIDS.

Each year, informative and educational events are held worldwide. Candlelight vigils, concerts, letter writing campaigns, marches and more will take place all over the world. In fact, events will be held on every continent.

Different “themes” and campaign slogans are used. The theme for 2010 is “Light for Rights”, a campaign that focuses on human rights and HIV by encouraging people around the world to dim their lights in remembrance of the devastating effects AIDS has on the world.

Turning the lights back on will help keep the light on human rights and HIV.

Reference: http://www.examiner.com/holidays-in-national/world-aids-day-2010-wad-events-resources-and-tools

Vatican: Condom use less evil than spreading HIV

2010-11-24T12:58:00.002+08:00

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON and NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Victor L. Simpson And Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY – In a seismic shift on one of the most profound — and profoundly contentious — Roman Catholic teachings, the Vatican said Tuesday that condoms are the lesser of two evils when used to curb the spread of AIDS, even if their use prevents a pregnancy.

The position was an acknowledgment that the church's long-held anti-birth control stance against condoms doesn't justify putting lives at risk.

"This is a game-changer," declared the Rev. James Martin, a prominent Jesuit writer and editor.

The new stance was staked out as the Vatican explained Pope Benedict XVI's comments on condoms and HIV in a book that came out Tuesday based on his interview with a German journalist.

The Vatican still holds that condom use is immoral and that church doctrine forbidding artificial birth control remains unchanged. Still, the reassessment on condom use to help prevent disease carries profound significance, particularly in Africa where AIDS is rampant.

"By acknowledging that condoms help prevent the spread of HIV between people in sexual relationships, the pope has completely changed the Catholic discussion on condoms," said Martin, a liberal-leaning author of several books about spirituality and Catholic teaching.

The development came on a day when UNAIDS officials announced that the number of new HIV cases has fallen significantly — thanks to condom use — and a U.S. medical journal published a study showing that a daily pill could help prevent spread of the virus among gay men.

"This is a great day in the fight against AIDS ... a major milestone," said Mitchell Warren, head of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.

Theologians have debated for years whether it could be morally acceptable for HIV-infected people to use condoms to avoid infecting their partners. The Vatican years ago was reportedly preparing a document on the subject, but it never came out.

The groundbreaking shift, coming as it does from the deeply conservative pontiff, would appear likely to restrain any public criticism from Catholic conservatives, who insisted Tuesday that the pope was merely reaffirming the church's moral teaching.

Conservatives have feared that a comment like this would give support to Catholics who want to challenge the church's ban on artificial contraception in an environment where they feel they are under siege from a secular, anti-Catholic culture.

George Weigel, a conservative Catholic writer, said the Vatican was by no means endorsing condom use as a method of contraception or a means of AIDS prevention.

"This is admittedly a difficult distinction to grasp," he told The Associated Press in an e-mail. What the pontiff is saying is "that someone determined to do something wrong may be showing a glimmer of moral common sense by not doing that wrong thing in the worst possible way — which is not an endorsement of anything."

Benedict's comments come at a time when bishops in the United States are intensely focused on upholding the strictest views of Catholic orthodoxy, emphasizing traditional marriage, natural family planning based on a woman's menstrual cycle and making abortion the most important issue.

In the book, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," Benedict was quoted as saying that condom use by people such as male prostitutes indicated they were moving toward a more moral and responsible sexuality by aiming to protect their partner from a deadly infection.

His comments implied that he was referring primarily to homosexual sex, when condoms aren't being used as a form of contraception.

However, questions arose immediately about the pope's intent because the Italian translation of the book used the feminine for prostitute, whereas the original German used the masculine.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, told reporters Tuesday that he asked the pope whether he intended his comments to apply only to men. Benedict replied that it really didn't matter, the important thing was that the person took into consideration the life of another.

"I personally asked the pope if there was a serious, important problem in the choice of the masculine over the feminine," Lombardi said. "He told me no. The problem is this: ... It's the first step of taking responsibility, of taking into consideration the risk of the life of another with whom you have a relationship."

"This is if you're a man, a woman, or a transsexual. ... The point is it's a first step of taking responsibility, of avoiding passing a grave risk onto another," Lombardi said.

Those comments concluded the press conference, and Lombardi took no further questions about how broadly this interpretation could be applied.

The clarification is significant.

UNAIDS estimates that 22.4 million people in Africa are infected with HIV, and that 54 percent — or 12.1 million — are women. Heterosexual transmission of HIV and multiple, heterosexual partners are believed to be the major cause of the high infection rates.

Benedict drew harsh criticism when, en route to Africa in 2009, he told reporters that the AIDS problem couldn't be resolved by distributing condoms. "On the contrary, it increases the problem," he said then.

In Africa on Tuesday, AIDS activists, clerics and ordinary Africans applauded the pope's revised comments.

"I say, hurrah for Pope Benedict," exclaimed Linda-Gail Bekker, chief executive of South Africa's Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. She said the pope's statement may prompt many people to "adopt a simple lifestyle strategy to protect themselves."

In Sierra Leone, the director of the National AIDS Secretariat predicted condom use would now increase, lowering the number of new infections.

"Once the pope has made a pronouncement, his priests will be in the forefront in advocating for their perceived use of condoms," said the official, Dr. Brima Kargbo.

Lombardi said Benedict knew full well that his comments would provoke intense debate. Conservative Catholics have been trying to minimize what he said since excerpts were published this weekend in the Vatican newspaper.

The Rev. Tim Finnegan, a conservative British blogger, said he thought the pope's comments were unwise. "I'm sorry. I love the Holy Father very much; he is a deeply holy man and has done a great deal for the church," Finnegan said on his blog. "On this particular issue, I disagree with him."

Lombardi praised Benedict for his "courage" in confronting the problem.
"He did it because he believed that it was a serious, important question in the world of today," Lombardi said, adding that the pope wanted to give his perspective on the need for greater humanized, responsible sexuality.

Luigi Accatoli, a veteran Vatican journalist who was on the Vatican panel that launched the book, put it this way:
"He spoke with caution and courage of a pragmatic way through which missionaries and other ecclesial workers can help to defeat the pandemic of AIDS without approving, but also without excluding — in particular cases — the use of a condom," Accatoli said.

The launch of the book, which includes wide-ranging comments on subjects from the sex abuse crisis to Benedict's belief that popes should resign if physically unable to carry out their mission, drew a packed audience. Making a rare appearance, Benedict's secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, sat in the front row — an indication of the event's significance.

In the book, the pope reaffirms Vatican opposition to homosexual acts and artificial contraception, as well as the inviolability of marriage between man and woman.
But by broadening the condom comments to also apply to women, the pope was saying that condom use is a lesser evil than passing HIV onto a partner, even when pregnancy is possible.

"We're not just talking about an encounter between two men, which has little to do with procreation. We're now introducing relationships that could lead to childbirth," Martin said.

Individual bishops and theologians have applied the lesser evil theory to the condom-HIV issue, but it had previously been rejected at the highest levels of the Vatican, Martin said.

Monsignor Jacques Suaudeau, an expert on the Vatican's bioethics advisory board, said the pope was articulating the theological idea that there are degrees of evil.

"Contraception is not the worst evil. The church does not see it as good, but the church does not see it as the worst," he told the AP. "Abortion is far worse. Passing on HIV is criminal. That is absolute irresponsibility."

He said the pope broached the topic because questions about condoms and AIDS persisted, and the church's teaching hadn't been clear. There is no official Vatican policy about condoms and HIV, and Vatican officials in the past have insisted that condoms not only don't help fight HIV transmission but make it worse because it gives users a false sense of security.

"This pope gave this interview. He was not foolish. It was intentional," Suaudeau said. "He thought that this was a way of bringing up many questions. Why? Because it's true that the church sometimes has not been too clear."

Lombardi said the pope didn't use the technical terminology "lesser evil" in his comments because he wanted his words to be understood by the general public. Vatican officials, however, said that was what he meant.

"The contribution the pope wanted to give is not a technical discussion with scientific language on moral problems," Lombardi said. "This is not the job of a book of this type."
___
Associated Press reporters Rachel Zoll in New York, Jason Straziuso in Nairobi and AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione contributed to this report.

Church urged to soften stand on condom use

2010-11-24T09:15:00.003+08:00

This is the cover of "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times" by Pope Benedict XVI. In the book, which was to be released Nov. 23, the pope said the use of condoms may be a sign of moral responsibility in some specific situat ions when the intention is to reduce the risk of AIDS. (CNS)

The Star, Phlippines
22/11/2010

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - A government official called on the local Catholic Church Monday to follow the example of Pope Benedict XIV who had softened his stand on the use of condom in the fight against the spread of HIV-AIDS.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ramon Carandang told reporters Monday, "I think our own clergy should be informed by the views of the Vatican because they've always referred to the Vatican when they stated their position. Now that the Vatican's position is such, then I think that should result in a corresponding flexibility on the part of our Church. The local Church cannot be more popish than the Pope."

He added that the use of condom and other forms of contraceptives is not as controversial in other parts of the world as it is in the Philippines.

Pope's position would also boost the Department of Health's earlier project of distributing free condom to the public as part of its anti-HIV-AIDS program, as well as the bid to pass the Reproductive Health bill, he said.

The Pope during an interview for the book "The Light of the World" had said that the use of condoms maybe justified to stop the spread of HIV-AIDS. He, however, acknowledged that it is not the only way to handle the spread of the HIV infection.

He also clarified that his comments does not weaken their stand against the general use of artificial contraceptives.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said they prefer to waiting until the book is published this week but acknowledged that the Pope's comments focuses on the use of condoms as one of the tools to prevent the spread of HIV-AIDS and not as the main measure.

Abortion is illegal in the Philippines, but condoms and birth control pills are available despite church objections. Philippine church officials are against contraception which is banned by the constitution.

Like four out of five Filipinos, Aquino is a Catholic. But he supports the right to contraception in the country with an aim to slow the country's annual population growth of 2 percent.

Lawmakers welcome Pope's stand on condom use vs AIDS fight

2010-11-23T13:31:00.003+08:00

by AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV

Both the oppositors and the advocates of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill in the House of Representatives welcomed the statement of Pope Benedict XVI that condoms could be used to stop the spread of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), in certain cases.

In a text message to GMANews.TV, Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez said the move of the Pope is to protect life and not to prevent it.

“It is only for male prostitutes with AIDS. Not like the pro-RH condoms which are meant to prevent life. The RH people cannot use this to promote condoms. The RH objective in promoting condom is primarily to prevent life, and secondarily to prevent infection," he said.

Golez is the author of House Bill 13 of the proposed Act Providing for the Safety and Protection of the Unborn Child which states that the unborn child, from the moment of conception onwards, should be protected.

Golez's bill said unborn children should be protected from all outside intervention that could be medically considered as abortive during the natural process of growth of the fertilized ovum. These include chemicals, surgical procedures, or abdominal massage.

The Church frowns on the use of condom as a family planning method because it interferes in the process of conception.

Pope: Condoms not a moral solution to AIDS

An Associated Press (AP) article on Sunday quoted the Pope as saying that condoms are not a moral solution to stopping AIDS but in some cases, such as for male prostitutes, their use could represent a first step in assuming moral responsibility "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection."

The Pope, however, also reiterated the Church's position that abstinence and marital fidelity are the only sure ways of preventing the spread of HIV.

The Pope made the statement in response to a German journalist's general question about Africa, where heterosexual HIV spread is rampant.

The Pope's comment will be published in a book entitled "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," which will be released on Tuesday.

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano published excerpts of the interview on Saturday.

Tool for responsible choice

Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez said the Pope’s remark about condoms to lower the risk of transmission of HIV/AIDS is going to be welcomed by Catholics around the world.

“This is our way of contribution to humanity in our quest to protect and preserve life from this killer infection," he said in a text message.

"The (condom's) offer of protection is not absolute and must not be abused or mistaken as a ticket to promiscuity or for other ends, but rather its use can be a tool to be more responsible to the choices one makes," he added.

He added that as a Catholic doctor and public health practitioner, it would now be more conscionable to prescribe or teach to patients about the use of condoms to prevent or reduce risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS as a step towards a responsible use of human sexuality.

Repercussions on RH debates

Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy was happy that the Church is now open-minded and adjusting to what is necessary to the present time.

Golez and Herrera-Dy are co-authors of the HB 19.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara was surprised with the Pope’s statement as it is a change in the previous hard line policy of the Catholic Church.

“It will have repercussions on the current debates in Congress on reproductive health and responsible parenthood," he said.

Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan, for her part, said that although the reason given by the Pope leaves much to be desired “still it is a move towards a freer and more liberal outlook."

“The Pope’s declaration is an opening of the dark tunnel which can enlighten the Catholics and non-Catholics and lead the flock towards the light of understanding and acceptance of the realities of the times," she said.

She expressed hope that it will encourage people to weigh the advantages of a State policy and comprehensive RH bill.

“If the Pope is widening the tunnel leading to truth wider, then we should not be more popish than the pope. Then all can benefit from the light of change," she added.

Ilagan is one of the authors of the six RH bills pending in the House of Representatives.

Problem of sexually-transmitted diseases

Davao del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas IV expressed hope the Pope recognizes the problem of sexually transmitted diseases and overpopulation.

“We should pass the RH bill," he said.

CIBAC Rep. Sherwin Tugna sees the statement as a positive development as while it is only categorical, this goes to show that the leadership of the Catholic Church are closely studying and deliberating on the use of condoms as well as other forms of contraceptives.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone believed that the Catholic Church is now beginning to realize that the issue is not confined to population alone but also the health of the people.

“I hope our local Catholic Church will take notice of that radical statement of the pope to rethink their position on the issues of health and population," he said.

DIWA Rep. Emmeline Aglipay said she was quite surprised by the Pope’s statement but sees it as a very welcome sign of a more progressive Catholic Church.

“Responsible sexuality is an issue which a responsible Church should tackle head on. The Church’s role in social change and in taking part in solutions to prevalent social ills, such as the spread of HIV cannot be overemphasized," she said.

A question of exceptions

According to the AP article, Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, the Vatican's longtime top official on bioethics and sexuality, said the Pope's stand pertains only to cases where condom use "is the only way to save a life."

Quoting Sgreccia on the Italian news agency ANSA, the AP report said the Pope's stand on the condom issue was "in the realm of the exceptional."

"If Benedict XVI raised the question of exceptions, this exception must be accepted ... and it must be verified that this is the only way to save life. This must be demonstrated," Sgreccia said.

In the same AP report, Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans said the Pope was clearly not encouraging condom use.

"I think the pope has been very strong in saying condoms do not solve the problem of morality and do not solve the problem of good sex education. But if a person chooses not to follow the teaching of Christ in the church, they are at least obliged to prevent another person from contracting a disease that is deadly," he said.

HIV/AIDS

AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The disease affects the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to infections and tumors.

The virus is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with an HIV-infected body fluid — blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk.

The virus can be transmitted through:
anal, vaginal or oral sex with HIV-infected persons);
blood transfusion (if the blood is positive for HIV);
the use of HIV-contaminated hypodermic needles;
exchange between an HIV-infected mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding;
or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.

AIDS is considered a pandemic or an epidemic affecting a large part of the population.

According to UNAIDS 2009 report, some 60 million people worldwide have been infected by the disease; some 25 million have died, and around 14 million children were orphaned in southern Africa alone since the epidemic began. – VVP, GMANews.TV

PRESS STATEMENT: UNAIDS welcomes Pope Benedict's support to HIV prevention

2010-11-22T08:39:00.002+08:00

GENEVA, 20 November 2010—UNAIDS welcomes the reported statement of Pope Benedict XVI calling for “a humane way of living sexuality” and that the use of condoms are justified "in the intention of reducing the risk of HIV infection".

“This is a significant and positive step forward taken by the Vatican today,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “This move recognizes that responsible sexual behaviour and the use of condoms have important roles in HIV prevention.”

UNAIDS has worked closely with the Vatican, in 2009 Mr Sidibé held far-reaching discussions with Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski on HIV prevention issues including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, protecting young people and reducing sexual violence against women and girls. “This will help accelerate the HIV prevention revolution, in promoting evidence-informed and human rights based approaches to achieve universal access goals towards HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,” said Mr Sidibé. “Together we can build a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.”

With more than 7000 new HIV infections each day, UNAIDS advocates the use of a combination HIV prevention approach that utilizes all proven methods for HIV prevention including use of male and female condoms, choosing to have sex later, having fewer multiple partners, male circumcision, reducing stigma and discrimination, and the removal of punitive laws. The male latex condom is the single, most efficient, available technology to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Jake Cuenca Shines in New Indie Film About HIV/AIDS

2010-11-19T13:01:00.002+08:00

By Anya Santos
Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Mainstream actor Jake Cuenca has proven he has the acting chops in his participation in Neal Tan’s indie movie “H.I.V. (Si Heide, Si Ivy at Si V).”

Tan, together with producer Donna M. Sanchez, was the force behind the Rafael Rosell starrer, “Tulak,” an advocacy movie Tan also directed, which centered on the ill effects of using and pushing drugs. “H.I.V.” on the other hand, is another advocacy movie about HIV and AIDS in the Philippines.

Cuenca reportedly immediately snatched the opportunity to be in the movie as soon as he got the script.

"Ito ang kauna-unahang indie movie na ginawa ni Jake Cuenca, and according to him, marami siyang natutunan sa paggawa ng indie," Tan tells PEP via email. "Hindi na daw pera ang pinag-uusapan dito, at na-feel daw niya na wala nang mas mahalaga pa kaysa makagawa ng isang makabuluhang pelikula," Tan continued.

He also commended Cuenca for his willingness to go deeper as an actor, which ispired Cuenca in turn to value his profession more. Cuenca also reportedly told his director that this movie had been the most challenging of his career so far.

According to Tan, he saw Cuenca’s efforts during production, saying his actor would always come to the set early and ready for his scenes. Comparing this work ethic to Fanny Serrano’s, with whom he also worked in another indie movie, “Tarima,” Tan also told PEP, "Tulad ni Fanny Serrano, isa sa mga dakilang artistang nagbibigay ng inspirasyon sa mga tulad kong direktor upang mas pagbutihin pa ang kanilang trabaho, dahilan upang makagawa ng isang matatawag na obra."

Aside from Cuenca on a major role, “H.I.V.” also stars Iza Calzado, Candy Pangilinan, IC Mendoza, at Precious Lara. Support cast includes Will Devaugn, Jao Mapa, Mara Lopez, Azenith Briones, Orestes Ojeda, Abby Cruz, Liz Alindogan, Jess Sanchez and Rustica Carpio.

The script reportedly came together during a screening for “Tulak” in Bacolod. According to Tan, the school officials brought to his attention the need to inform students about the killer disease, most of whom had no clue what it is. Since then, Sanchez and Tan were able to touch base with Wanggo Gallaga, the son of director Peque Gallaga. The younger Gallaga, who is a wirter and editor at Chalk magazine, is said to be HIV-positive and he has helped complete the script, PEP reported.

As per Tan, their target playdate for “H.I.V.” is December, on World AIDS Day itself.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/276996/jake-cuenca-shines-new-indie-film-about-hivaids

HIV Cases Rising Among MSM, Patients Getting Younger

2010-10-17T09:54:00.002+08:00

Manila Bulletin
15/10/2010

By Carina L. Cayon

Davao City, Philippines (15 October) -- Advocacy groups have raised alarm on the increasing cases of HIV positive in the country, along with the climbing number of "Men who have sex with Men" (MSM) and transgenders (TG) as the current most-at-risk-population.

The groups also disclosed that patients of the human immunodeficiency virus were getting younger scoring at the age of 17 to 24 years old based from the recent reported cases.

According to Dr. Ferchito Avelino, authorized HIV diagnostics laboratories in the country confirmed some 5,864 HIV positive cases as of July this year, since the first case came out in 1984.

Avelino cited Davao Region to rank second, next to the National Capital Region as to the number of HIV positive cases, noting that 170 cases which represent 3.2 percent of the total cases nationwide have been reported in Region 11.

He informed that 85% of the region's cases or 144 HIV positive cases were found to be in Davao City.

"Malaki ang contribution ng Davao City sa bilang ng cases ng Davao Region," said Avelino who is executive director of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), a government entity that functions as an advisory, planning and policy-making body for the comprehensive and integrated HIV/AIDS prevention and control program in the country.

Avelino stated "this is a big challenge to the government from the regional down to barangay level on how to address this problem."

According to Jeff Fuentes, Davao City Health Office has reported 18 deaths from the 70 cases it has recorded since 1993.

Fuentes, CHO population program officer, said that CHO has recorded four cases in 2007, while 14 in 2008.

This year, he noted, there were 17 persons infected with HIV as reported from January to July, which was same as the number of cases recorded the whole year of 2009.

"The first semester of this year already covered the one year data of 2009. Cases have doubled. That's how alarming it is." stressed Fuentes.

According to him, all cases came from the sector of MSM/TG who had multiple sex partners and had inconsistent condom use. He added that all had high educational attainment.

He also said that 47% of the total HIV infected persons in the city belonged to the age bracket of 25-29 years old, while 35% came from the age bracket of 20-24.

But the main age, Fuentes stressed, were getting younger at the age of 17-24 based from the recent HIV surveillance which was accounted for January to July 2010 report.

Dr. Philip Castro of the United Nations Development Programme, revealed that the Philippines is one of countries in Asia with a rapid increase of HIV cases among MSM.

Castro informed that UNDP-Bangkok has been supporting regional initiatives in Asian countries, citing for instance the development of comprehensive packages to address the epidemic among MSM/TG.

"For a long time, ginawa na natin ang mga interventions with MSM. But, despite our rapid interventions, tumataas pa rin ang kaso natin," Castro said.

The alarming HIV situation among MSM/TG has brought about the recent gathering of advocacy groups and leaders of the MSM/TG communities during the first Visayas and Mindanao Regional Conference held in the city last week of September.

Dr. Edelina dela Paz, executive director of the Health Action Information Network (HAIN), said "the conference equates us to address issues and concerns not only on the basic human rights of the sector but also on their access to basic social services and the right to self respect."

HAIN is a non-government organization that does advocacy, research, information and education strategies on health and development, including HIV/AIDs or the Acquire Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

In a media release, UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer said "the recent trend in the epidemic and the emerging HIV challenges require a cadre of strong advocates and champions that will put forward the agenda of MSM and TG."

Meyer, who attended the conference, further stated "the disturbing trend in the country call for concrete actions that will not only create awareness on the emerging issues and challenges of HIV and AIDS, but more importantly, tackle HIV and AIDS from a broader perspective that goes beyond access to health care and support services."

Akbayan Party List representative Atty. Arlene Bag-ao, who was the keynote speaker of the conference, expressed frustrations on the low government fund for HIV/AIDS considering that it was lumped to the TB and dengue budget.

Bag-ao, however, hoped that the budget would be increased next year to address the climbing number of HIV cases in the country. "This entails lots of efforts. The Congress is working on it," she told the local media during the conference.

Meanwhile, IWAG Dabaw, Inc., a gay organization in Davao City, has been doing advocacy, massive information and education drive and workshops to elevate the level of awareness among its members.

IWAG Dabaw executive director Rhoy Diaz said the issue on HIV/AIDS has been taken for granted for a time, adding that his group has to employ a new approach to be effective and has been working hard to decrease number of HIV infection in the city.

Diaz said that during their workshops, they have to inform the HIV prevalence in the communities without mentioning the names of the persons infected with the virus. (PIA-XI)

Integrating the MDGs: delivering for girls, women and babies

2010-09-20T08:38:00.004+08:00

Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS

Ahead of the opening of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Summit at the UN in New York City, General Assembly delegates gathered today for a dialogue with bilateral donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), First Ladies, youth leaders and the private sector on how to secure the resources and political will needed to achieve the MDGs—with specific focus on delivering solutions for women, girls and babies.

The event, Accelerating Action on the MDGs: Delivering for Girls, Women and Babies, was organized by the global advocacy organization Women Deliver, and co-sponsored by UNFPA, WHO, World Bank and UNAIDS. Speakers included Ms Graça Machel, renowned international advocate for women’s and children’s rights, Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a managing director with the World Bank.

‘Achieving the MDGs is possible’
The speakers presented compelling cases for the possibility of achieving the MDGs, if the world’s leaders make the necessary resources available. With 110 million children not having access primary education—of which two thirds are girls—and women being disproportionally represented among the 1.4 billion people living below the poverty line, many of the MDGs seem far from attainable.

“This agenda will never succeed, if it remains only in the hands of us here in New York. It must be owned at the country level, by every head of state, every woman and every girl,” said Ms Machel.

Yet, the AIDS movement has effectively demonstrated that achieving the MDGs is possible: countries such as Botswana and Namibia are close to reaching the goal of virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and, twenty-two of the most affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa have reduced new HIV infections by more than 25%. Key steps have been taken to stop and reverse the spread of HIV by 2015, as MDG 6 reads.

Integration of the MDGs
According to Mr. Sidibé, it is clear that investing in one MDG will help achieve the others. “Where HIV is prevented, maternal mortality decreases. When a mother’s life is saved; a newborn’s life is usually saved. When girls are educated, poverty decreases.”

Mr Sidibé added that the AIDS response should be a bridge for joining health and development movements, such as maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, and women’s rights. “For me, it is clear: no progress on the MDGs without integration,” he said.

Other speakers at the event included Fred Sai, Ghanaian Family Health Physician, Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen SA, and Imane Khachani, of the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Morocco.

After each speaker, the audience discussed in small groups the challenges and shared their views and strategies on how they can be met and the way forward. The results of the discussions will be posted on the Women Deliver website.

RP to gear up for new development goals

2010-09-14T08:01:00.009+08:00

By Iris C. Gonzales

The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Countries including the Philippines are expected to gear up for new development goals, dubbed as Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Plus during the upcoming United Nations Review Summit on MDGs on Sept. 21, said UN resident coordinator in the Philippines Jacqui Badcock.

In a recent interview with The Star, Badcock said what may come out during the summit is a discussion on the so-called MDGs Plus.

“There’s still a lot to do. I suspect there’ll be a huge focus on the goals that we are struggling to achieve,” Badcock said.

The eight MDGs are a set of specific and time-bound development goals committed by the governments to be achieved by 2015, using 1990 data as baseline.

The eight goals are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and women empowerment, reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat diseases; ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development.

Badcock said that there are still problems by most countries around the globe in achieving the goals on maternal health, education and poverty.

“There is a question mark on maternal health and whether we’ll achieve education. And then we know that (achieving the goal on) poverty is on the borderline. We hope we’ll achieve it. The one on hunger is the hardest one for so many countries,” Badcock said.

She noted that malnutrition is still prevalent in so many countries.

“I imagine that what will come out on the summit is the need to focus even more on some MDGs,” she said.

She said the country’s efforts in achieving the MDGs needs improvement but she expressed optimism that the Aquino administration would be working on that.

Last week, the Philippine government launched its latest report on the MDGs, with officials noting that the country is likely to miss three of the eight development goals.

Of the eight goals, the report said that the government should improve its focus on reducing poverty, improving education and achieving maternal health.

It should also focus on improving the performance of boys in basic education as well as on reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country.

On the other hand, the report said the country has high probabilities of meeting the targets of reducing child mortality; promoting women empowerment, reversing the incidence of malaria and tuberculosis and providing access to sanitary facilities, which according to the report has already been surpassed.

Nevertheless, the government said, it should exert all that it can to realize the MDGs within the next five years.

“The economy needs to attract local and foreign investments to spur economic growth. To do this, physical infrastructure has to be improved, water and power have to be made available at competitive rates and more transparent systems in doing business need to be established,” the MDG report said.

AIDS 2010: Rights Here, Right Now

2010-08-25T08:05:00.001+08:00

The largest global AIDS conference, which takes place in Vienna 18 to 23 July, emphasizes the central importance of protecting and promoting human rights as a prerequisite to a successful response to HIV.

Under the theme “Rights Here, Right Now”, the biannual conference “AIDS 2010” also stresses that concrete human rights measures are needed to protect those most vulnerable to and affected by HIV such as women and girls, people who use drugs, migrants, prisoners and sex workers.

“The lack of respect for human rights, including stigma and discrimination, is fueling the epidemic. It is perhaps the greatest barrier to developing an appropriate global response to HIV,” said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in a video to be screened at the conference.

For example, more than 50 countries worldwide continue to have laws prohibiting the cross-border movement of people living with HIV. Experts say that such laws are discriminatory, contrary to sound public health principles, and are preventing an appropriate global response in the fight against the spread of the virus.

The United Nations Human Rights office (OHCHR) is calling for the repeal of national legislation which imposes blanket restrictions on the entry, stay and residence of people based on their HIV status alone.

“HIV knows no borders. It is therefore important to ensure that international migrants have the same rights as everyone else. A person’s HIV status alone should not be seen as a reason for refusing to employ him or her,” Pillay said.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michéle Sidibé supported the message. “And for me it’s time to call all the countries to remove travel restrictions.”

“One of the major challenges with HIV response in the world today is stigma, discrimination and criminalization. In a nutshell, it’s… about human rights – the basic human rights of people,” he said.

The AIDS conference, which attracts 25,000 participants worldwide, also features a Human Rights Networking Zone where individuals and organizations can involve visitors to campaign against HIV-related human-rights violations. The Zone is showing a video produced by OHCHR about the deportation of a migrant worker after he was tested HIV positive.

Combating HIV/AIDS is one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). OHCHR stresses that pursuing development hand-in-hand with human rights gives countries a better chance of achieving the MDGs by 2015.

Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/AIDS2010RighthereNow.aspx

Young Olympians get the HIV message

2010-08-24T15:56:00.001+08:00

AIDS-inspired dance workshops, sports games with an HIV awareness-raising twist and make-your-own plasticine prevention messages were highlight activities coordinated by UNAIDS at the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, as part of the culture and education programme designed to encourage young Olympic athletes to learn more about issues of well-being, healthy lifestyle and social responsibility.

Throughout the proceedings of the Youth Games, held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August, a UNAIDS booth and a series of workshops addressed sexuality and HIV transmission, including myths and misconceptions, through interactive games, peer-to-peer discussion and innovative dance and drama methods.

Hosted in the Olympic village, the activities were accessible to the 3600 participating young athletes aged 14-18 and 1400 team officials. Every day, hundreds of young athletes visited the UNAIDS booth and workshops, with all activities coordinated and delivered by volunteers from UNAIDS event partners Y-PEER from the Philippines, Singapore-based organization BEADS as well as Youth Olympic Games volunteers.

“Despite language barriers, we were able to unite and channel energies of athletes coming from different cultures and backgrounds to talk about HIV and reiterate the need for protection and awareness,” said Y-PEER volunteer Mario Balibago.

While visiting the UNAIDS booth, athletes were encouraged to post updates to the UNAIDS Facebook page. “HIV is a good thing to talk about with the youth and to share… all over the world. Protect yourself and show love for people with HIV,” posted Kernesha Spann, a young 400m runner from Trinidad and Tobago.

The UNAIDS booth also received a number of high-profile visitors including Mr Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, and Mr Wilfried Lemke, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Sport and Development, who both commended the use of innovative formats to reach young people with HIV messages through sport.

The partnership with the Youth Olympic Games is geared towards emphasizing UNAIDS’ priority area of empowering young people to protect themselves against HIV and as part of activities in support of the International Year of Youth, which commenced on 12 August. Following the successful interventions in Singapore, UNAIDS will continue to work with the International Olympic Committee to strengthen the partnership, including exploring the development of a cadre of Youth Athlete Champions for HIV.

“Sport is an incredible channel for getting HIV messages out to young people. As well as the athletes, the volunteers working with us at the booth also became hugely sensitized on HIV issues and wanted to spread the word further,” said Dawn Foderingham, Partnerships Advisor at the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific who coordinated UNAIDS’ participation in the Youth Games. “Young people are champions both on and off the field and their leadership on HIV can have critical impact,” she added.

Source: http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2010/20100823_YOG_UNAIDS.asp

World Humanitarian Day

2010-08-20T12:48:00.000+08:00

Today marks the second World Humanitarian Day. It is an opportunity to learn about what it means to be a humanitarian aid worker by hearing about their work, reading the principles that guide them and being aware of the hazards they face in the course of their work. The Day also honours those who have been killed or injured in the course of their humanitarian work. The General Assembly established the day in 2008 and invites all countries, UN entities and international and non-governmental organizations to observe the day.

Inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore

2010-08-18T09:50:00.003+08:00

During the next two weeks, Singapore is making Olympic history by being the host of the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, opening on 14 August 2010.

The Youth Olympic Games, to be held every two years (alternating Summer and Winter), is an international high-level sporting event for young people, which offers a balance of sport, culture and education. The Games were created to educate, engage, and influence young athletes, inspiring them to play an active role in their communities.

Around 370,000 spectators will gather to watch young athletes, aged 14 to 18 from around the world, participate in Singapore 2010. The inaugural games include high-level competition in 26 sports categories and a Cultural and Education Programme focused on a variety of themes including the Olympic values. It will also consist of skills-building sessions for participants, including on HIV.

As young people account for 40% of all new HIV infections globally, placing young people in the driving seat to halt and to begin to reverse the HIV epidemic is crucial.

“Young athletes are role models in their communities. We need to call on these young people to lead the prevention revolution if we are to reach UNAIDS vision of Zero new infections,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, “Sports can be a powerful vehicle to come about change in societies around the world.”

UNAIDS has partnered with the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) in the context of its overall partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to provide HIV prevention information and raise awareness about HIV among young people during the two weeks of the Games.

“HIV awareness and prevention campaigns are most effective when addressed to the youth” said Mr Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee. He added: “Sport is a powerful tool for reaching out to today’s youth on all continents and for educating them early on about healthy and responsible behaviours.”

UNAIDS, together with civil society organizations, will conduct a series of workshops focusing on adolescent sexual and reproductive health as well as stigma surrounding HIV under the educational theme “Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyle.” Workshops will be open to the estimated 3,600 young, athletes and 1,400 officials in the Olympic Village.

The workshops will be run in collaboration with Y-PEER, a youth-to-youth initiative, and BEADS, a Singapore organization. The sessions will use dance and competitive games to address topic such as sexuality and HIV transmission, and addressing myths and misconceptions about HIV.

The content of these interactive sessions has been developed specifically for the Youth Olympic Games to engage athletes. In addition, condoms have been made available for free at the medical clinics.

Sport is recognized as a powerful communication tool and is unique in its ability to unify and galvanize people all over the world. In recognizing the importance of sports for development, the partnership with the Youth Olympic Games is geared towards one of UNAIDS’ ten priority areas namely to empower young people to protect themselves against HIV.

Source: www.unaids.org

PhilHealth draws up benefit package for HIV/AIDS patients

2010-08-09T16:09:00.002+08:00

By Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has come up with a benefit package for people with HIV/AIDS to fortify efforts to meet Millennium Development Goal No. 6, which is to “halt or reverse the spread” the virus.

In PhilHealth Circular 19-2010, the agency said outpatients with HIV/AIDS are entitled to a P30,000 insurance package for one year, provided that the infection has been “confirmed” by the Sexually Transmitted Disease/AIDS Central Cooperative Laboratory or Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

This benefit package aims to increase the proportion of the population having access to effective HIV/AIDS treatment and patient education measures,” said PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Dr. Rey Aquino.

But according to Dr. Susan Gregorio, medical specialist of the multi-sector Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), the benefit package is “small,” considering that the monthly cost of anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment that an HIV patient needs is P15,000.

“I don’t know why it is like that because during our previous meetings, the amount we were eyeing was much higher,” she said.

ARV is a treatment protocol given to HIV patients when the level of their CD4 cells, which the AIDS virus attacks, goes down to 300 from the normal count of 1,200. ARV treatment helps prevent the progression of HIV into full-blown AIDS.

Gregorio said the P15,000 per month does not include the cost of other medicines, laboratory examinations and other medical needs of an HIV patient.

Some 500 HIV patients in the country are receiving free ARV treatment from the Department of Health (DOH) through the funding provided by non-government organizations.

The PhilHealth package shall cover the “drugs and medicines, laboratory examinations including CD4 level determination test and test for monitoring of ARV toxicity and professional fees of providers.”

“The package will be released in four quarterly payments; each sub-package is worth P7,500 payable to the recognized treatment hub of accredited facilities. A maximum of four treatment sub-packages per year may be claimed by the treatment hub,” the circular stated.

From January 1984 to June 2010, the DOH registered a total of 5,233 HIV cases, 847 of which have progressed into AIDS.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=600755

Lack of funding threatens the future of HIV drug therapy in the developing world

2010-07-29T15:22:00.002+08:00

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 29, 2010

Ten years ago, many experts thought you couldn't bring antiretroviral therapy to people with AIDS in poor countries. The drugs cost too much, there weren't enough doctors, the patients wouldn't take the medicines correctly, and the risk of creating a resistant virus was too high.

None of that turned out to be true. About 5.2 million people with HIV infections are on lifesaving treatment in low- and middle-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, antiretroviral therapy, much of it paid for by the U.S. government, is resurrecting whole communities.

But the world is facing a potentially more intractable problem: the price of success.

There's barely enough money to pay for people whose treatment is underway and who will need it for a lifetime. There isn't enough to start treatment for about 5 million more who urgently need it.

Those new concerns about costs dominated the 18th International AIDS Conference, which drew 19,300 participants from 193 countries to Vienna last week.

"If I were to characterize the mood here, I would say it was a combination of rage and panic," said Joanne Carter, director of the anti-poverty group Results and a board member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The rage is directed at the Obama administration, which many activists say is reneging on a commitment to continue big annual increases in global AIDS spending. The panic arises from the knowledge that in some African countries, patients who want antiretroviral treatment are being turned away and will soon start dying.

Some activists pine for former president George W. Bush, who launched a much-praised multibillion-dollar fund to fight AIDS around the world. But now, in the eyes of many, the U.S. government has replaced the pharmaceutical industry as the main impediment to progress.

"The paradox is that the United States government and other funding partners have decided to either flat-line or reduce their spending just when funding should be ramped up so we could actually win the battle," said Paul Zeitz, director of the Global AIDS Alliance.

U.S. overseas AIDS funding is part of the Global Health Initiative (GHI), the Obama administration's $63 billion, six-year program. The portion devoted to HIV and tuberculosis, an infection to which AIDS patients are particularly prone, is $44 billion. The rest goes to malaria, maternal and child-health programs, and the hard-to-define goal of "health systems strengthening." Although larger than Bush's revolutionary President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Obama's GHI is spread across more agencies. It is less a bullet aimed at the heart of AIDS than a net cast to capture a flock of health problems.

"What it takes to save lives of those with HIV and those most at risk to contract it is a comprehensive approach that recognizes the roles of other diseases," Gayle Smith, Obama's special assistant for development and democracy, wrote on the White House blog last week.

An unmet need

AIDS activists say nobody should doubt that the need for treatment among the 33.4 million people infected with HIV globally is urgent and largely unmet.

The United Nations agency UNAIDS estimates that $23.6 billion was needed to address the epidemic in low- and middle-income countries last year. Yet only $15.9 billion was available from all sources, public and private. The U.S. government provided 27 percent of that money, mostly through PEPFAR, which Bush started in 2003 with a then-staggering commitment to spend $15 billion on prevention and treatment over five years.

The United States has been by far the biggest donor of money for AIDS treatment to the world's poor, last year providing 58 percent of the $7.6 billion given by governments. Britain, a distant second, gave 10 percent of the total. Japan, with the world's third-largest economy, contributed 2 percent.

This international AIDS assistance has climbed steadily from $1.2 billion in 2002 to last year's $7.6 billion. The cost of treating someone with HIV infection has fallen even more dramatically. In 2000, three-drug antiretroviral therapy cost about $10,000 a year. With concessionary pricing and the use of generics, it's now $120 for the world's poorest patients.

The trouble, activists say, is that the big gains in generosity and economizing have mostly stopped. International AIDS assistance was the same in 2008 and 2009, and is not expected to go up much, if any, this year. The White House request for global AIDS spending for the next fiscal year is only 2 percent higher than what is being spent this year.

Although there's argument about the exact numbers, there's little doubt the Obama administration is on track to spend less than planned by either the GHI or the Lantos-Hyde Act of 2008, which renewed PEPFAR and authorized spending $48 billion from 2009 through 2013. Many other donor countries are taking a similar go-slower approach.

A matter of principle

Still, the need to increase AIDS treatment in those places is a matter of principle, the activists say. They note that Obama supported the Lantos-Hyde Act as a senator and campaigned on a promise of increasing overseas AIDS spending.

"Bush made a commitment, and then circumstances changed. Despite the change, he kept his word," said Zeitz of the Global AIDS Alliance.

Many AIDS experts and activists also argue that treatment is an important prevention tool. That's because when a person is successfully on antiretroviral therapy, HIV virtually disappears from body fluids, greatly reducing the possibility that the patient will infect others.

The GHI "recognizes that we can't treat our way out of the HIV-AIDS epidemic," Ezekiel J. Emanuel, the president's special adviser for health policy, wrote in the Huffington Post during the conference in Vienna. "The key to ending it is to reduce the number of those who become HIV-positive in the long term -- and that takes improving their overall health and the health systems around them."

Word of the funding constraints is reaching villages and clinics.

A letter sent in October from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instructed PEPFAR partners in Uganda that they "should only enroll new patients if they are sure that these new patients can continue to be supported without a future increase in funding." Carter, the Global Fund board member, said she met a woman at the AIDS conference who works in that country and testified to the reappearance of things not seen in years.

"She is starting to see people die because they don't have access to antiretrovirals. She is also seeing people sharing medicines," Carter said. "The fact is, this crisis isn't looming. It's happening."

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/28/AR2010072805671.html?hpid=topnews

Window for anxiety in HIV tests

2010-07-28T11:01:00.003+08:00

By JENNY F. MANONGDO
July 25, 2010, Manila Bulletin

Getting tested for HIV is not a simple manner.

If you have engaged in a risky sexual behavior one night and submit yourself to HIV testing the next day, you may receive a negative result. But hold your plans for celebration as you need to wait for 90 days before you can be sure whether the virus has gotten its hold on you or not.

The 90-day window period may cause the person anxiety but he or she needs to wait for the more accurate results that will come out after this stretch.

“During the window period, it is so scary because you cannot detect the virus but the number of virus is at its highest at this stage,” Dr. Gerard Belimac, Department of Health (DoH) program manager on sexually transmitted infections (STI) and AIDS, said in a media seminar held in Palawan last week.

“At this early stage of infection, the person has no antibody. The window period is three months so there is a false sense of security if you get tested within three months,” Belimac said.

The DoH encourages the most-at-risk populations to undergo HIV testing. People whose tests yield positive results can avail themselves of treatment services for free at social hygiene clinics nationwide.

The health department earlier listed the most-at-risk populations for HIV and AIDS: female and male sex workers and their clients, IDUs (injecting drug users), MSMs (males having sex with males), and persons whose partners have been exposed or suspect they have been exposed to HIV.

The rise of HIV/AIDS cases in the country is worrying health authorities who already have their hands full in achieving the sixth Millennium Development Goal which aims to reduce HIV/AIDS and other diseases by half by 2015.

The number of infections in the country beginning 1984 up to May 2010 is 5,124 with 700 new cases detected only this year.

In May alone, 123 cases were recorded in the HIV/AIDS registry which is an 80 percent increase in the same period last year.

Eighty-eight percent of the infections was transmitted through sexual contact particularly through Males having sex with Males (MSM). Twenty-eight cases were gathered from Injecting Drug Users (IDU).

A striking detail to this figure is that 47 percent of HIV infections were very recently infected (last five months), a survey made by the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) said.

“We need to encourage people to get HIV testing. Before, it is hard to ask people to do this because there are no Antiretroviral (ART) drugs available. But now, we have ART and they can be treated as soon as possible,” Belimac said.

“In the past, HIV is like a death sentence. But now, the person can start the treatment soon,” he added.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/268785/window-anxiety-hiv-tests

HIV incidence on the rise among women in Asia, UN says

2010-07-02T12:48:00.001+08:00

Bangkok – HIV rates are on the rise among Asian women, highlighting the need for new policy priorities, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warned Monday. In 2007, women accounted for 35 per cent of all people living with HIV in Asia, up from 18 per cent in…

Written by , in Latest News

HIV Prevention in Boracay, Philippines

2010-06-28T11:01:00.000+08:00

RP failing in goal to stop AIDS, says UN

2010-05-31T12:36:00.002+08:00

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: May 30, 2010

THE PHILIPPINES CONTINUES TO fall short of its sixth Millennium Development Goal (MDG), which is to halt and reverse the spread of the dreaded HIV-AIDS disease.

This was disclosed to the Inquirer by Teresita Marie Bagasao, country coordinator of the United Nations Program on HIV-AIDS or UNAIDS.

Interviewed Friday night during the AIDS candlelight memorial observance at Rajah Sulaiman Park in Manila, Bagasao said they were very appreciative of the efforts being undertaken by the multisectoral Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) against the killer disease.

But the PNAC needs “to do more,” Bagasao asserted.

AIDS or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. The virus attacks and weakens the body’s immune system, ultimately leading to death. It is usually sexually transmitted although infection can also occur through blood transfusions, needle-sharing and mother-to-child transfer at birth.

Over 25 million people worldwide have died of AIDS since the 1980s, according to UNAIDS.

Bagasao said the country was “falling short” of MDG No. 6. “Based on official reports, new infection rates are going up, not down,” she said.

In a UN report furnished the Inquirer, the body’s representative office in Manila disclosed that “while the country is still within the target of less than one percent of the population for HIV-AIDS, the rising number of HIV cases has become a cause for alarm.”

The report also said HIV cases among the youth had been increasing at “an unprecedented rate” while similar cases “among the 15-24 age group nearly tripled.”

“Aside from the youth, other vulnerable populations (groups) include persons in prostitution and their clients, males who have sex with males, people who inject drugs, and overseas Filipino workers,” the report also said.

Last month, the Department of Health-attached National Epidemiology Center (NEC) warned that the number of HIV-AIDS cases in the country, which had been steadily climbing since 2007, may breach the 6,000-mark for the first time this year.

Based on NEC projections, new HIV infections may reach 1,500 “by Christmas 2010.”
Dr. Eric Tayag, NEC director, told the recent HIV Summit in Manila, “The inconvenient truth is, the future is not bright. It’s going to get worse.”

Like Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Bagasao stressed the need to “further intensify” the anti-HIV-AIDS drive.

Cabral, who is also PNAC chair, urged the public to keep in mind the “ABCDE” of the anti-HIV-AIDS drive: “Abstain from sex. Be faithful to your partner. Consistently use condoms. Do not use illegal drugs. And educate yourself.”

Cabral is up against a powerful Catholic Church lobby against the use of condoms or any other artificial contraceptive device. The Church is also against the reproductive health bill which would make sex education compulsory in public and private schools.
But Anastacio Marasigan Jr., executive director of The Library Foundation, one of the organizers of this year’s AIDS candlelight memorial (ACM), called for “expanded coverage” of the campaign against HIV-AIDS.

“There’s still a lot of things to be done, especially in the information drive,” said Marasigan as he also expressed hope “people will start realizing that it’s not just a health issue but also a human rights issue.”

Between 1984 and 2010, the DOH recorded a total of 835 AIDS cases. During the period, more than 310 AIDS victims died.

Today, between 33 million and 36 million people are living with HIV-AIDS. About 50 percent of them are women. Last year, about 2.7 million people got infected with HIV.

Dr. Chito Avelino, PNAC executive director, said more than 1,200 anti-AIDS advocates attended the candlelight memorial, which aimed to “remember and honor those who have passed away due to AIDS.”

Bias hurts fight vs HIV in gay Asian men—UN

2010-05-19T07:49:00.002+08:00

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:53:00 05/18/2010
Filed Under: Sex Videos, Health, Asia Australia - Australia New Zealand, Gender Issues

MANILA, Philippines--More than 90 percent of men having sex with men in the Asia-Pacific region, a group in which HIV prevalence has reached alarming levels, do not have access to prevention and care services due to an adverse legal and social environment, a United Nations-backed forum was told.

And this already critical situation is likely to become worse unless countries address the legal context of the epidemic, taking into account the effect of laws and law enforcement practices on the health of men who have sex with men and transgender persons.

“The effectiveness of the HIV response will depend not just on the sustained scale-up of HIV prevention, treatment and care, but on whether the legal and social environment support or hinder programs for those who are most vulnerable,” Mandeep Dhaliwal, UN Development Program (UNDP) Cluster Leader on Human Rights, Gender, and Sexual Diversity, told the gathering in Hong Kong Monday.

“The development and strengthening of an enabling legal and social environment is critical for comprehensive interventions for men who have sex with men and transgender people to have the greatest impact.”

The forum--the high-level dialogue on punitive laws, human rights, and HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in the Asia-Pacific region, convened by the UNDP, the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (Apcom), and the Center for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL) at the University of Hong Kong--reviewed the findings of an upcoming report.

According to the study--on laws affecting HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender persons in Asia and the Pacific--19 of 48 countries in the region criminalize sex between men, with laws often taking on the force of vigilantism leading to abuse and human rights violations.

Even in the absence of criminalization, other provisions of law often violate the rights of those concerned, thereby obstructing HIV interventions, advocacy and outreach, and service delivery. Moreover, legislation and law enforcement often lag behind national HIV policies, undermining the reach and effectiveness of programs for men who have sex with men.

This indicates the need for greater coordination between health and justice sectors within government, the report stresses. It highlighted some recent examples of protective laws, judicial and policy actions to improve the legal environment for the men concerned, including important court judgments in Fiji, India, Hong Kong, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, and South Korea.

But these are exceptional developments and action is required to improve the legal environment in all countries, it warned.

Panelists in the high-level dialogue include former national high court justices, and representatives from the UN system, parliaments, and civil society.

DOH calls conference to halt advance of HIV/AIDS in RP

2010-04-09T12:46:00.001+08:00

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:42:00 04/07/2010

Filed Under: Diseases, Health

MANILA, Philippines—Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral is calling for a "national coordinated response" to prevent the further spread of HIV-AIDS in the country and is organizing a national conference for this purpose next Monday.

"Everyone should be involved in addressing the HIV-AIDS epidemic," said a DOH report furnished the Inquirer.

The department asserted that "intensifying the campaign at various levels of collaboration can help significantly in reinforcing education of the people about HIV prevention and control measures."

"HIV has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and has been a biomedical as well as a social issue. This alarm must be transformed into behavior change and accountability for one's actions—taking charge of our own overall health," the DOH report said.

Next Monday, the multisectoral Philippine National AIDS Council, which Cabral chairs, is scheduled to hold a conference to "inform leaders of society about the HIV-AIDS situation in the country."

The one-day meeting also aims to convince these leaders to "scale up the national response to HIV-AIDS."

In a statement on Wednesday, Cabral said that "with increasing cases of HIV reported in the past three years in the Philippines, it has now become imperative for the government to conduct an HIV-AIDS summit."

The HIV-AIDS conference, which will be held at the Manila Diamond hotel, "will serve as a venue to strengthen collaboration among key players in the national response (to the epidemic) and engage others in the realization of a harmonized, collaborative and scaled-up initiative to address the challenges of HIV-AIDS."

In another report, the DOH disclosed that it recorded a total of 835 AIDS cases between 1984 and 2010. During the period, a total of 314 AIDS victims (38 percent) died.

Of the 273 HIV cases registered by the DOH during the past two months, at least three were positive for AIDS.

"For February alone, a total of 130 HIV cases were registered, an increase of 117 percent compared to the same period last year," said the DOH.

"The number of cases have increased significantly," it added. "From one new case reported every three days in 2000, it increased to one per day in 2007 and doubled to two new cases per day in 2009."

This year, about five new cases are being reported to the DOH’s AIDS registry each day, and, according to the DOH, "The number only represents the tip of the iceberg."

During the past 26 years, the DOH recorded a total of 4,697 HIV cases.

A total of 3,477, or 74 percent of the cases, were males, 23 percent of whom were in the 25-29 age group.

Another 20 percent of the victims were in the 30-34 age group, followed by 16 percent in the 35-39 age group.

Ninety percent of the HIV cases (4,203) got the infection through sexual contact: heterosexual (54 percent), homosexual (30 percent) and bisexual (16 percent).

The other modes of HIV transmission were needle-sharing among injecting drug users, blood transfusions, needle-prick injuries and mother-to-child infection.

In January and February, at least 16 overseas Filipino workers were reported HIV positive, said the DOH. Twelve of them were males while four were females. Their ages ranged between 18 and 69.

All 16 HIV cases got the infection through sexual contact.

Dealing with HIV and AIDS

2010-04-07T09:36:00.004+08:00

Manila Standard, Philippines
05/04/2010

By Adelle Chua

Filipinos have been familiar with HIV and AIDS since the 1980s. Remember movies made about Sarah Jane Salazar and Dolzura Cortez? Even so, the knowledge of the existence of this condition did not alarm most people at the time. The Philippines was thought to be a low-prevalence country, compared to other countries especially in Africa. Many attributed this to the fact that most Filipinos are Catholic—devout, faithful, never promiscuous.

Imagine thus the public’s reaction when no less than the Department of Health announced an almost-fantastic increase in the number of reported cases in recent months. In December 2009 alone, there were 126 reported cases, bringing the full-year 2009 total to 835, from the 2007 total of 343 and 2008 total of 628. Hardly a consolation were the January 2010 figures, which reflected 143 new cases.

To be more dramatic about it, there was an average of one case per two days reported in 2000. In 2007, this became one case per day. In late 2008 to 2009, there were two cases a day. Using the January 2010 numbers, there are four to five cases reported per day.

Ferchito Avelino, executive director of the Philippine National AIDS Council secretariat, says there is a host of reasons for the alarming surge in numbers. First, because of the support of The Global Fund, there has been a more widespread information and intervention program that has also improved access to HIV testing procedures.

Then, too, the Integrated HIV Behavioral Serologic Surveilance, performed in 23 sites all over the country, confirms increased risky behavior among some Filipinos.

The survey, done every two years, includes obtaining blood samples from certain segments of the population deemed “at risk”—people in prostitution, men having sex with men, and people who inject drugs. Extensive interviews are also conducted to get to know respondents’ behavior and lifestyle. The latest survey, done last year, yielded that newer cases being reported are those of people under 30, mostly young urban professionals. Reasons for acquiring the virus were poor knowledge of HIV and AIDS, having multiple sex partners and the low level of condom use.

The 2009 survey also reflected a great increase in transmission among people who inject drugs, leading authorities to link HIV infection and Hepatitis C, a blood-borne disease.

The council (www.pnac.org.ph), a creation of Republic Act 8504 and composed of more than 20 government and non-government bodies, is the central coordinating agency for the national response to the threat of HIV and AIDS. But what IS the national response? Avelino says they are focused on the prevention, treatment, care and support of Persons Living with HIV.

By prevention, the council works on information and education campaigns to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Risk reduction is key, Avelino says. Abstinence and mutual monogamy are always fool-proof ways. But the truth is that neither the government nor the Church can impose on people what lifestyles to lead. “Different people do behave in so many different ways,” Avelino adds. “The way to help is to ensure they have options.”

This brings us back to the controversial condom, evil incarnate for the Catholic Church. Remember how much flak Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral got from the church hierarchy for distributing condoms at a bus station on Valentines Day? The bishops even reportedly advised Cabral to reflect on her advocacy during the Holy Week just past. The Catholic Church says condoms do not help prevent the spread of HIV and even increase risks as they offer a false sense of security.

Avelino adds that the Church’s position—that condoms offer only 85 percent protection, and this protection decreases with repeated use—just does not make sense. The 15 percent risk, he says, comes from incorrect and inconsistent use. “This is why mere distribution is not enough. We also have to teach people how to use it correctly.”

The council is also involved in conducting awareness campaigns in the workplace, both in the private and public sectors. Numerous corporations have recognized the need to educate their manpower on the consequences of risky behavior. Fortunately, the Civil Service Commission’s chairman, former Health Secretary Francisco Duque, needs no further convincing on the merits of the campaign.

As for treatment, there are now Anti-Retro Viral drugs, prescribed to a patient whose CD4 count (CD4 is a kind of white blood cell that leads the attack on infections) falls below an ideal level. But once a patient starts the ARV treatment—a mix of three drugs, when before there were 10—he has to take them every day, at the same hour, unfailingly, for the rest of his life.

The treatment is costly. The medicines will cost a patient anywhere between P1,500 and P2,000 a day. Remember that the drugs have to be taken every day. The government does provide ARV treatment for free in selected treatment hubs—but this is made possible by the help of The Global Fund. It’s aid, and it will not last forever. The Global Fund rounds last for five yeas and the one currently in force will end in 2012. The Philippines will then have to apply for the next one.

Avelino points to the “burning house” syndrome as what is responsible for the escalation of the number of reported cases. “The problem in this country is that an issue has to be a sensation first in the media before we realize how important it truly is.” In the past, HIV and AIDS were not deemed serious threats to the country. For the most part, there was no decisive, sustained and aggressive effort to prevent its spread. The threat was conveniently swept under the rug.

Now that the situation has been likened to an epidemic, everybody is hysterical—laying blame on others, branding certain industries as “breeding grounds” for HIV, taking the moral high ground, debating over what to do and how exactly to do it, advancing and then receding in the fight because of the fear of offending certain sensibilities. In the meantime, many more people remain uninformed of their options, and more are consigned to a battle with the dreaded virus. The persistent social stigma, from a deadly mix of ignorance and bigotry, makes things worse.

“We cannot afford to be lukewarm anymore in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Tama na ang pagpapa-cute. It’s time for serious action,” Avelino says. He is worried, and with reason. We all are. His current boss, Cabral, has shown admirable gumption in doing what she has to do even as she only assumed the health portfolio in January. She has not yet even made her zeal contagious in the Executive branch. For how long will she stay in her post given that this administration is almost done?

And will the next national leader recognize the threat or keep on waffling to court favor from the almighty church?

Copyright Manila Standard Today 2005-2009

DOH, CBCP agree on ways to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS

2010-04-05T14:36:00.005+08:00

Photo: http://www.asianews.it/files/img/filippine

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) may have opposing views on the use of condoms, but they agree on other ways to prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in the country.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral and CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA) HIV programs coordinator Josephine Ignacio, who were panelists in yesterday’s third forum before the April 12 National HIV Summit 2010, approved of other ways to combat HIV/AIDS.

Cabral and Ignacio stressed that there are other factors that they can discuss to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

“From here, we realize that there are common points we can work on without compromising the teachings of the Catholic Church. To tackle the HIV pandemic we need a multi-sectoral approach – government, church and civil society; and we call on the media to keep in mind (their) significant role in uniting these efforts rather than engaging in the topics that divide,” Ignacio said.

She added the HIV/AIDS situation in the country requires them to “look forward rather than backward.”

“The call for a summit is for us to sit down and talk, collaborate between the CBCP-NASSA and the government,” she said.

Ignacio mentioned that instead of dwelling on the condom issue, they should work together and promote awareness of the deadly disease that until now has no cure. “Condom is a small iota of the problem. Poverty is the issue.”

Asked if this means the DOH would stop handing out condoms, Cabral answered no.
She said her department would continue distributing condoms to hygiene clinics, those who engage in men-to-men sexual intercourse, and spouses of indigent HIV victims.

But Ignacio reminded the government not to encourage promiscuous behavior and teach the public to be responsible with their actions and be faithful to their partners.
She said Filipinos should abide by the Church’s teachings to lead orderly lives and called on gay people not to be promiscuous.

Cabral said the “emphasis is what we can cooperate on and not on the things that divide us.”

Gov’t should prepare

Meanwhile, international group Global Funds said it would only pay for the cost of medicine of people living with HIV/AIDS until 2012 and the government should now make preparations to cover the cost of the medicine after that.

Cabral said faith-based groups have an important role to play because they are in charge of molding the behavior of society and individuals.

“They should look for strength from the moral fiber of individuals and societies,” she added.

“Once they have succeeded in reducing the number of those infected with the serious communicable diseases, this would mean less cost for the country because they would no longer have to buy medicine,” she said.

Ignacio said “to label the Church as hostile to the efforts in combating the virus is doing a great disservice to hundreds of thousands of nuns, priests, brothers and other members of the Church who are the silent workforce behind this exceptional response to the pandemic. With the work we have at hand, we do not have the luxury of time to indulge in polemical discussions on condoms.”

By working together the DOH and the Church hope to mitigate the economic impact of the epidemic on the Filipino family, she said.

Cabral said the 5.4 percent of the Global Fund is being accessed by faith-based organizations, including the Catholic Church, and with their meager funds they need to tie up with the government.

Others panelists at the forum were Philippine National Aids Council’s Dr. Susan Gregorio, Social Welfare Undersecretary Cecilia Yangco, Church of God International (Ang Dating Daan’s) representative Jun Soriano and Pinoy Plus president Jericho Paterno. – Evelyn Macairan

From The Philippine Star

Parliamentarians call for lifting travel restrictions for people living

2010-03-29T13:20:00.002+08:00

UNAIDS and the Inter-Parliamentary Union join forces to urge countries to eliminate HIV related restrictions on entry, stay and residence and reduce stigma and discrimination

BANGKOK, 28 March 2010 – Parliamentarians from all parts of world are calling upon governments to remove travel restrictions for people living with HIV. This call was made at the 122nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Bangkok today.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNAIDS are urging parliamentarians in countries with such restrictions to play a leading role in removing them. The two organizations also encourage parliamentarians to support legislation and law enforcement to protect people living with HIV from discrimination based on HIV status.

“By placing restrictions on the travel and movement of people living with HIV, we needlessly rob them of their dignity and equal rights,” said Theo-Ben Gurirab, President of the Inter- Parliamentary Union. “Parliamentarians have a duty to protect the rights of all citizens, including people living with HIV.

There are 52 countries, territories and areas that have some form of HIV-specific restriction on entry, stay and residence that is based on positive HIV status. These include restrictions that completely ban entry of HIV-positive people for any reason or length of stay; or ban short stays, for example for tourism, or longer stays for immigration, migrant work, asylum, study, international employment, or consular service.

“Travel restrictions for people living with HIV do not protect public health and are outdated in the age of universal access to HIV prevention and treatment,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “Parliamentarians can play a vital role in removing discriminatory laws and restrictions.”

In July 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated the long-standing United Nations call for the elimination of HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence. UNAIDS is closely monitoring which countries continue to employ them and has designated 2010 as the “year of equal freedom of movement for all”.

Read more here: http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/PressCentre/PressReleases/2010/20100328_PR_TravelRestrictions.asp

Labor department to issue HIV/AIDS memo

2010-03-22T09:08:00.001+08:00

By: Sun Star, Philippines

MANILA -- The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) will soon release guidelines for companies on how to address the occurrence of HIV/AIDS in the workplace.

The draft memorandum “Guidelines for the Implementation of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Policy and Program in the Workplace,” will be submitted next week to Secretary Marianito Roque for approval.

The guidelines will focus on information and education, integration of HIV policy on the companies’ Occupation and Safety Health (OSH) standards, training of personnel, establishment of an HIV/AIDS center, and voluntary distribution of condoms, among others.

“The program is also in deference to the provisions stated in Republic Act 8504 or the AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998,” said Dr. Ma.Teresita Cucueco, OIC - Executive Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Center of DOLE.

A June 2008 survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that only 26 percent or equivalent to 6,368 out of 24,457 companies in the Philippines had set-up HIV/AIDS policies and programs.

A similar move was done by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in government offices but the draft circular has yet to pass the approval of the CSC board.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) said the disease increases business costs like increased burden of healthcare provision, lower productivity of infected employees, increased risks in the workplace and indifference among employees.

(Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)

Unfazed Cabral orders $8m worth of condoms

2010-03-16T07:35:00.002+08:00

THE government is using $8 million from the $19-million Global Fund grant to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to buy condoms from the United Nations, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said Sunday.

“If it’s from the UN, a condom costs only P1.50 to P2, but if we are going to get it from commercial sources, it will cost P7 up to P10,” Cabral told a health forum sponsored by the Philippine College of Physicians.

She said the Health Department had P63 million last year to help prevent the spread of AIDS, but it had so far spent nothing to buy condoms.

“We are still using funds from the international aid agency called the Global Fund whose biggest donor is Bill Gates [to buy condoms],” Cabral said.

Catholic bishops slammed Cabral and asked President Gloria Arroyo to sack her after she distributed condoms in Sampaloc, Manila, on Valentine’s Day eve, saying she was immoral, but Cabral said they could not stop her from campaigning to prevent AIDS.
She said the Philippines committed to buying condoms and to launching a program to fight HIV-AIDS when it accepted the Global Fund grant.

“The consistent and correct use of condoms is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV, which could lead to full-blown AIDS,” Cabral said.

Did she still receive communion despite her quarrel with the bishops?
“I receive communion when there is occasion to receive communion, but when there is no occasion to receive communion, I don’t lose sleep over [it],” she said.

The opposition to condoms had affected the government’s drive against AIDS and had led to a significant rise in HIV cases, Cabral said.

Edsel Salvana, a consultant at the Sagip HIV/AIDS clinic at the Philippine General Hospital, said 90 percent of all HIV cases were sexually transmitted.

“If condoms were being promoted adequately, we would not be experiencing rising HIV cases,” he said.

Figures showed that HIV cases worldwide declined by 17 percent from 2001 to 2010, but the number of cases in the Philippines rose 334 percent in the same period and by 400 percent in 2009, when 835 cases were recorded, Salvana said. The number of HIV cases here could reach more than 25,000 by 2019.

“If the doubling rate [of HIV cases] continues, we will have 1,600 cases by 2011, 3,200 cases by 2013, 6,400 cases by 2015, and 25,000 cases by 2019,” Salvana said.

By: Macon Ramos Araneta, Manila Standard

Source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews

AIDS in RP a full-blown epidemic — DoST scientist

2010-03-15T08:32:00.000+08:00

Manila Bulletin
12/03/2010

By MITCH ARCEO

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases in the country have increased dramatically and the disease is now in the midst of a full-blown epidemic, a Department of Science and Technology (DoST) balik-scientist said Friday.

DoST scientist Dr. Edsel Salvaña, also a doctor at the SAGIP HIV/AIDS Clinic, said more and more patients are showing up at the AIDS facility located at the Philippine General Hospital. She noted that in May last year alone, 80 patients were diagnosed with AIDS.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Philippines used to be a low prevalence area, with only 4,218 confirmed cases in 1984. However, the cases ballooned to 12,000 in 2005.

The HIV/AIDS Registry in the Philippines, on the other hand, revealed that in 2000, the rate was one new case every three days. In 2007, it increased to one new case a day and finally, the rate became two new cases a day in 2009.

“We have a very big problem. If the rate of doubling continues, there will be over 20,000 new cases per year by 2020. The cost to treat each person is US$200-300 a month, not counting loss of productivity and life expectancy,” Salvaña said.

HIV/AIDS can be contracted through sexual contact, blood transfusion, drug use injection, needle prick injury, and genetics (mother-to-child).

Those who are most at risk are homosexuals, followed by bisexuals, and heterosexuals, respectively.

What makes this epidemic more alarming is that very few health workers trained formally in treating AIDS/HIV. Because the social stigma is tremendous, some doctors are even reluctant to treat patients. Salvaña said that some people do not even want to be in the same room with a patient.

“This prompted the physicians involved to initiate emergency measures and improve the clinic facilities and ramp up prevention strategies,” said Salvaña.

Education is the key to prevent this epidemic and to hasten its spread. Media also has a big role in promoting awareness among the people.

“Abstinence is most effective, but condom use is the next most effective method,” related Salvaña.

The Red Party, founded by Salvaña, has been in the forefront of these efforts, and was featured in an international publication as a dynamic force in advocating stronger programs and support for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.

“The DoST, through the Balik Scientist Program, is essential in the transfer of knowledge and in setting collaborations with international partners. Research collaboration will help catalyze solutions to the problem early in the epidemic. Investment with money and know-how is important in controlling and defeating the disease. We need all the help we can get,” said Salvaña.

The Red Party is planning to conduct an HIV/AIDS summit this year, which involves local stakeholders and international partners who will craft solutions to the current epidemic. Centers for research in HIV/AIDS will also be set up

Please read more here: http://www.mb.com.ph/node/247415/aid

28% of young Filipinos think AIDS curable

2010-03-12T08:56:00.002+08:00

DepEd, Unicef to use video to fight HIV, AIDS
INQUIRER.net First Posted 09:55:00 03/11/2010

MANILA, Philippines—As many young Filipinos are misinformed about the fatal HIV and the full-blown AIDS, the Department of Education and Unicef have partnered to use a video to fight this ignorance, as well as the rising number of sexually transmitted infections (STI) cases.

The 2003 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFSS) said that 28 percent of young Filipino adults thought that acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is curable while 73 percent thought that they are immune to human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV).

Recent findings of the Department of Health’s AIDS Registry also revealed that infections among 15- to 24-year-old Filipinos increased five-fold from 41 in 2007 to 218 in 2009. Overall prevalence of pre-marital sexual activity also increased from 18 to 23 percent between 1994 and 2002.

Recognizing children’s right to information at the right time to enable them to lead happy, healthy lives, DepEd and Unicef on Wednesday launched Power of You, an interactive video intended to help young people, particularly high school students, learn about risky behaviors, STI, HIV, and AIDS.

The video follows the story of Francis and Sara, typical teens who face big challenges every day. Being interactive, it allows users to choose the path that their characters will take, through decision points depicting drama and humor of a normal teenager’s life. It carries the message for young people to delay sexual debut and educate themselves and their peers about HIV and STIs.

“Today, young people learn things better if information is presented to them in a novel and exciting way, and Power of You does just that. It is designed to raise awareness on STI and HIV among young people in a fun and interactive light. It motivates them to choose life-saving actions and focuses on the power of individual choice to make their dreams and ambitions come true,” said Unicef Representative Vanessa Tobin at the launch of the video.

According to the Unicef briefer, the campaign will involve the conduct of learning sessions using the interactive video. In a learning session, a trained facilitator will guide high school students in “Choosing the Life” of a teenager.

The main characters in the video will experience significant situations which require critical decisions. The students will be asked to decide the fate of the main character. Each choice will result in a new situation. The facilitator will give appropriate information bits after each decision. The project will be rolled out and implemented by DepEd with assistance from Unicef within the year.

“The Department of Education signifies its commitment to a long-term, sustainable program targeting education and prevention. We are encouraging teachers to integrate programs like Power of You in their school improvement plans and foster an environment of openness wherein young people can talk about the problems that they typically encounter as they go about teenage life,” said DepEd’s Bureau of Secondary Education Director Dr. Lolita Andrada.

The Power of You campaign is initially piloted in 29 public schools in Metro Manila, the cities of Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, and Olongapo, and Masbate. The campaign aims to reach at least 12,000 high school students in the first year of 2010.

The Philippines is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely signed international treaty safeguarding children’s rights.

Veronica Uy

For more info, check this link:

http://www.unicef.org/philippines/mediacentre_12908.html

Cabral of DOH: Wrong to say that condoms are a health hazard

2010-03-10T09:40:00.000+08:00

This page requires a higher version browser
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Interviews of Health Secretary Cabral, Catholic Bishops, WHO official and Dr Acosta

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/video/56405/cabral-of-doh-wrong-to-say-that-condoms-are-a-health-hazard

QTV: Health Sec. Cabral ready to debate with Catholic leaders on condoms issue

2010-03-10T09:13:00.000+08:00

This page requires a higher version browser

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
03/09/2010 | 12:55 PM

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/video/56579/qtv-health-sec-cabral-ready-to-debate-with-catholic-leaders-on-condoms-issue

Palace exec to bishops: Don’t dictate on condom use

2010-03-10T09:12:00.000+08:00

03/09/2010 10:36 AM

The word war between the government and Philippine Catholic bishops on the use of condoms took another turn on Tuesday after a Malacañang official called on the men of the cloth not to "dictate" on their flock.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas said the people must have the option to use condoms, including to decide how to plan their families.

"Huwag naman magdikta, hayaan ang tao pumili ng iba-ibang pamamaraan. Give the people a choice, di yung sasabihin ito lang gawin mo. Dictatorship yun (Don't dictate. Give the people a chance to choose, otherwise that would be dictatorship)," Planas said in an interview on dzXL radio.

"Even some Christians are using condoms," she said, adding that condoms being offered by the government are not meant to induce abortion.

"Kailangan talaga ang family planning. Di sinasabing mag-abort ka, sinasabing planuhin mo (Family planning is needed here. We are not encouraging abortion, we are encouraging family planning)," she said.
Planas also questioned whether officials of the Catholic Church live up to their position, saying some of its bishops had also fathered children.

"Yung sa simbahan sa kanilang parte meron ding nagkakaanak (Some men of the cloth have fathered children)," she added.

According to her, the Philippines is a democracy, unlike in China where authorities impose on parents the maximum number of children they can have.

"In China where there is no democracy, authorities dictate how many children a family can have. Here, we make babies if we have nothing better to do. So if you cannot avoid having sex, use what you have to," she said.

On Monday, Catholic bishops said they are not keen on entering into any compromise regarding the use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives to control population growth. [See: No compromise on condom use]

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III said there is simply no compromise when it comes to the Church’s teachings.

Last weekend, Catholic bishops challenged Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral to a debate on whether condoms are effective in preventing human immunodeficiency virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS).

Cabral accepted the challenge but asked for clear ground rules so the debate will not turn into a religious exchange. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.Tv

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/185656/palace-exec-to-bishops-dont-dictate-on-condom-use

Ex-call center agent shares his HIV story

2010-03-02T08:31:00.001+08:00

Lumantad ang isang 20 anyos na dating call center agent para amining positibo siya sa HIV! Nakuha raw nya ito sa pakikipagtalik sa iba’t ibang partner nang di gumagamit ng kahit anung proteksyon. Nagpapatrol, Niña Corpuz. TV Patrol World, Lunes, Marso 1, 2010

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/youth/03/01/10/ex-call-center-agent-shares-his-hiv-story

Groups involved in HIV-AIDS campaign support Sec. Cabral

2010-03-02T08:05:00.001+08:00

This page requires a higher version browser
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Source: http://www9.gmanews.tv/video/56169/saksi-groups-involved-in-hiv-aids-campaign-support-sec-cabral

AIDS epidemic declared in Philippines

2010-02-25T10:21:00.001+08:00

AIDS epidemic declared in Philippines

Source: ABS-CBN News

Sometimes 'vicious' Catholic Church can't stop Cabral

2010-02-25T10:19:00.001+08:00

DOH to continue promoting condoms

MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Church can be "vicious" at times, according to Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, but that doesn't mean she's going to stop promoting condoms to fight HIV/AIDS in the country.

"Of course, I am afraid of the Church. They are very powerful and they can sometimes be very vicious. I'm not exactly one who likes to live dangerously," Cabral told ANC's Dateline Philippine on Wednesday when asked if she's affected by the bishops' threats against her for advocating the use of condoms, which is seen by the church as an abortion tool.

Cabral, however, said that she'd rather live dangerously than do nothing against the very alarming rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed a total of 4,424 HIV/AIDS cases from 1984 to December 2009.

The highest number was recorded in 2009 with a total of 835 cases.

"At the rate we are going, in 3 years, we are going to have more than 30,000 people with HIV/AIDS in the Philippines," the health secretary said.

Cabral said that the alarming trend was the reason behind the DOH's renewed and intensified distribution of condoms to "those who cannot afford it," especially the youth.

During the week of this year's Valentine's Day celebrations, DOH officials were seen distributing free condoms in public places, including in Dangwa, Manila where many vendors sold flowers.
Each flower bouquet bought by a person or a couple came with free condoms courtesy of a private company.

Cabral has caught the ire of Catholic bishops in the country for actively distributing condoms, which is perceived by the church as a tool for abortion.

A bishop had called Cabral "immoral," and warned that one of her feet is already in hell for going against the teachings of the church.

Abstinence comes first
Cabral said that the distribution of condoms is actually the DOH's last resort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

She said the first option is abstinence, which is aligned with the Catholic Church's policy.

The health secretary, however, said she believes it is “unrealistic" to expect people to abstain from sex.

“There are a few of us who will do it, but most of the people are going to heed to their natural inclinations,” Cabral said.

She said that unlike the Catholic Church, the health department, as the guardian of health, is more concerned about people’s health than of morality.

“The Church is the guardian of morality and therefore, they should exert every effort to make sure that their teachings are heard,” she said.

Following abstinence is the promotion of monogamy, and the last option is the distribution of condoms “for people who cannot be good.”

He said the DOH provides these people “with the means to prevent HIV/AIDS, which is with the use of condoms.”

During the interview, Cabral said that she seems to be enjoying the support of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as she has not been told to stop the distribution of condoms.

Cabral said the DOH is also supported by non-government organizations (NGOs) and international groups, including an agency that includes billionaire Bill Gates as a main donor.

Aside from foreign aid, the health department has a fund of at least P2 million for the purchase and distribution of millions of condoms .

Source URL: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/24/10/sometimes-vicious-catholic-church-wont-stop-cabral

UNAIDS NGO Delegation Survey - We would like to hear from you!

2010-02-25T09:39:00.003+08:00

Each year, the NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS governing body (called the Programme Coordinating Board or PCB) submits a report to the Board. This is an important opportunity for us to present the unique perspectives of civil society on the developments and issues around the AIDS pandemic. Broad input from civil society informs the NGO report, particularly regarding key issues on the agenda, but also regarding persistent or emerging issues “on the ground.”

This year, we anticipate that the June 2010 board meeting will include agenda items such as non-discrimination; men who have sex with men (MSM); and a thematic focus on sexual and reproductive health services linked to HIV.

We would like to get your input as we write this report. Please take a few minutes to complete this anonymous questionnaire, which is divided into three sections. The first section asks general information about you. The second section asks about how stigma and/or discrimination are impeding access to prevention, treatment, care and support. The third section asks about the programming of UNAIDS’ (including the ten Cosponsors) to tackle stigma and/or discrimination in your country or region.

The Survey is currently also available in Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and French. It will soon be made available in Thai, Burmese, Swahili and Arabic. The deadline is March 15, 2010.

Link to English Survey

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

Mobilizing and supporting diverse community organizations
to build an effective response to HIV and AIDS.

www.icaso.org www.aids2010community.org www.csactionteam.org
65 Wellesley St. E., Suite 403 Toronto, ON Canada M4Y 1G7
Office: +1 416 921 0018 Fax: +1 416 921 9979
Email: icaso@icaso.org

DOH chief snubs Church on condoms issue

2010-02-24T08:34:00.002+08:00

photo source: PIA

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:13:00 02/24/2010
Filed Under: Government, Diseases, Health, Churches (organisations)

MANILA, Philippines—Who’s afraid of the Catholic Church?

Not the Department of Health (DoH) which, despite strong opposition from the Church, has declared that it would continue giving away condoms to “people who need them.”

The condom distribution program is one of the “very many things that, if we actually do them, is going to reduce remarkably the spread of HIV-AIDS in the Philippines,” Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral told the Inquirer.

Cabral said the incidence of HIV-AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in the country had acquired the proportions of “an epidemic, not just a scare.”

She said the health department’s other prevention strategy was “the education of young people, children in school, those in the workplace and Filipinos who go overseas, as well as tourists and transients.”

The DoH handed out free condoms on Valentine’s Day as part of its campaign to stem the spread of HIV, which causes AIDS. The move angered the Catholic Church, which forbids artificial birth control, including the use of condoms.

The bishops claimed that the way to stop the spread of HIV-AIDS was to follow the teachings of the Church and to respect the sanctity of the human body.

Resignation sought
In a statement posted Tuesday on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Lipa Bishop Ramon Arguelles called for Cabral’s resignation.

“It’s so immoral for someone in the government to be pushing the use of condoms, which we all know is not a deterrent to AIDS,” Arguelles said.

The statement was signed by two other bishops—Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon and Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel.

Arguelles said Cabral should be dismissed and should not be allowed to influence the nation’s young.

“It’s worrying because it is the morality in society, especially among the youth, that is at stake,” he said.

Agence France Presse reported that when asked to comment on the matter, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s spokesperson Gary Olivar brushed off the bishops’ call.

“We should remember that public officials should be judged by standards of public policy interest as set forth in our laws and legal precedents, and not the morality of this or that institution,” Olivar told reporters.

About 75 million Filipinos, out of a national population of 93 million, are Catholics—a legacy of the country’s Spanish colonial past.

Secular state
Commenting on the Catholic bishops’ opposition to the condom distribution program, Cabral said: “Di naman yan tago, di ba (It’s very obvious, isn’t it)? They are very open about it.”

“[But] we are not a religious state [like] Iran. We are a secular state where there is separation of Church and State,” she pointed out.

Cabral said that “while it is very important for us to find out what [the Catholic bishops] think, to cooperate with them in areas where we can be cooperating, the government is the government and must do what it thinks is right for everybody.”

She added that “not everybody in the Philippines belongs to one church,” and that the DoH was “always willing to discuss and negotiate” the matter with Catholic Church officials.

Cabral said the health department’s intensified condom distribution program was justified.

Cause for alarm
“We should be properly alarmed because as the data show, [HIV-AIDS has become] an escalating problem,” Cabral said, adding:

“From an incidence of one person diagnosed every day as having HIV-AIDS two or three years ago, last year we were diagnosing two persons [with] HIV-AIDS every day.”

During the past two months, the number of HIV-AIDS cases has risen to four persons diagnosed with the disease daily, Cabral said.

She said that according to a graph on the incidence of HIV-AIDS over the past two decades—“and I think this is why we became a little complacent about the problem”—the “doubling time” was 10 years.

“In other words, it took 10 years for the cases to double from, say, 100 to 200,” she said. But today, “the doubling time is one year,” Cabral pointed out.

With that rate, she warned, “now we have a total of 4,400 cases of HIV-AIDS known to us. At the end of the year, that would be 8,800. If the doubling rate remains stable, at the end of 2011, that’s going to be 17,600. At the end of 2011, that’s going to be 34,400.”

“We really need to do something about it,” she said.

Not in the budget
No funds were appropriated by Congress for the procurement of condoms in the health budget for 2010, according to Cabral.

Asked why, she said it appeared that the HIV-AIDS problem was “not recognized” by both policymakers and legislators.

“People were just watching,” she said.

In the absence of local funds, Cabral said the DoH would tap standby funds provided by international agencies.

She cited as an example the program in the Philippines called “Global Fund for the Control of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,” which amounts to “something like $215 million spread over the years.”

Private fund
The money comes from a private fund to which the likes of billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates contributes, she said.

Cabral said that while only about $85 million had been released for AIDS, “I think there’s an amount—$19 million (over P850 million)—in that fund … for the purchase of prophylactics or condoms.”

“Our national government actually signed [up for] and committed to this thing,” she said.

USAID support
For more than 30 years since the 1970s, the Philippines had relied on international organizations, mainly the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for its population program.

USAID support for the Philippine government came at $3.5 million annually, which was intended to subsidize condoms, birth control pills, and injectable and intrauterine contraceptives.

In June 2000, USAID said it was anticipating a dramatic increase in the public sector’s demand for contraceptives, and that it would cut back on the supply over a period of time because of limited funding sources.

In that year, while the Philippines’ Department of Health noted an increase in the use of contraceptives over the years, population growth remained at a steady 2.3 percent annually.

USAID stopped shipping condoms to the Philippines in 2003, birth control pills in 2007, and injectable contraceptives in 2008.

With reports from Agence France-Presse and Inquirer Research

DOH chief to keep on distributing condoms to stop HIV-AIDS

2010-02-24T08:28:00.004+08:00

photo source: pinoy vote.net

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 13:36:00 02/23/2010

Filed Under: Health, Government, Churches (organisations), Religion & Belief

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Who’s afraid of the Catholic Church?

Definitely not the Department of Health (DoH). Unflinching in its condom distribution program to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said it would continue giving away condoms, or prophylactics, to “people who need them.”

According to Cabral, this is one of the “very many things that are going to reduce remarkably the growth of HIV-AIDS in the Philippines.”

She said the country has been facing the threat of an epidemic for a few years now but has not done anything about it. "We really need to do something about it. It is an epidemic. Not just a scare. It was an epidemic a few years ago but hindi pa napapansin (but it was not noticed)," Cabral said.

Other DOH strategies include “education of young people, children in school, those in the workplace and Filipinos who go overseas, as well as tourists and transients who come to the Philippines,” Cabral told the Philippine Daily Inquirer

When interviewed, Cabral pointed out that no funds were appropriated by Congress for the procurement of condoms in the 2010 DOH budget. “It's not written in the 2010 budget,” she said.

Asked why, Cabral said it seemed the HIV-AIDS problem was “not recognized (by both policy-makers and legislators)...People were just watching.”

In the absence of locally sourced funds, the DOH head said they would tap stand-by funds provided by “international agencies.”

“For example, in the Philippines, there is a program called GFATM, which means Global Fund for the Control of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.”

Cabral said money for the GFATM would come from a private fund to which philanthropists such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been contributing.

Cabral revealed that the fund intended for the Philippines amounted to $215 million. "But this is spread over the years,” she explained

“Although only about $85 million have been released for AIDS, I think there's an amount - $19 million (over P850 million) - in that fund not just for this year but spread over the years. And part of that fund is for the purchase of prophylactics or condoms. So our national government actually signed and committed to this thing. Kasi tinanggap natin 'yung fund (Because we accepted the fund),” she said.

On the Catholic Church's opposition to DOH's condom distribution program, Cabral said “very obvious naman 'yan (Their opposition is quite obvious).”

“Di naman 'yan tago, di ba (That’s not been hidden)? They are very open about it,” she said. But Cabral in pushing for condom distribution said the country continued to exist as a “democratic secular state.”

“We are not a religious state, such as Iran. We are a secular state where there is separation of church from state,” she pointed out.

Cabral emphasized that “while it is very important for us to find out what they think, to cooperate with them in areas where we can be cooperating with, the government is the government and must do what it thinks is right for everybody.”

"Not everybody in the Philippines belongs to one church,” she also stressed.

At the same time, Cabral said they would always be "willing to discuss and negotiate (with Catholic Church officials).”

Some Catholic bishops wanted Cabral kicked out of office because of the DoH condom project, which they said could endanger the people's morals.

The DoH distributed free condoms on Valentine's Day as part of its campaign to stem the spread of HIV, which causes AIDS.

The bishops said people should follow the teachings of the Church and respect the sanctity of their bodies to stop the spread of the disease.

But Cabral said the agency's intensified condom distribution program was justified.
“We should be properly alarmed because as the (HIV-AIDS) data show, HIV-AIDS is an escalating problem,” she said.

She said that three years ago, one person was diagnosed as having HIV-AIDS every day. But in 2009, the rate rose to two persons with HIV-AIDS every day.

During the past two months, HIV-AIDS cases have “gone up to four persons diagnosed (with the disease) every day.”

“If you look at the graph on the incidence of HIV-AIDS over the past two decades, you will see that in the past, and I think this is why we became a little complacent about the problem, the doubling time for HIV-AIDS was 10 years. In other words, it took 10 years for the cases to double from, say 100 to 200.”

Today, “the doubling time is one year,” she said. “So, at this rate, now we have a total of 4,400 cases of HIV-AIDS known to us. At the end of the year, that would be 8,800. If the doubling rate remains stable, at the end of 2011, that's going to be 17,600. At the end of 2011, that's going to be 34,400,” she warned.

"We really need to do something about it,” Cabral said.

Interview of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral and the Catholic Church on HIV/AIDS & Condom issues

2010-02-24T08:24:00.002+08:00

This page requires a higher version browser
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

GMA News Live on Issue of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines

HIV/AIDS in the workplace

2010-02-23T15:26:00.003+08:00

We’ve known about it for quite sometime now but most of us have not gone to town with the information because many among us felt that there were better ways to “announce” it. Don’t get me wrong. I also share the belief that people need to know that there has been a marked increase in HIV infections among young professionals. I’ve written about the dramatic increase in HIV infections in this column recently.

I believed that people in the call center industry needed to be informed that according to recent data from the Department of Health, there had been an alarming increase in the number of HIV infections among call center agents. However, I felt that this kind of information needed to be explained well. Better still, this kind of information needed to be supported by a concrete program of action so that people didn’t have to go into the default reaction mode—shock and denial. I would have wanted government and the community of non-government organizations working on HIV/AIDS prevention to engage the call center industry in a more proactive and productive dialogue instead of shocking them with the information through media.

But it seems newly appointed Secretary of Health Esperanza Cabral had other ideas. She went public with the information recently. And as can be expected, media sensationalized it. ABS-CBN even did a series of stories on it for a week. HIV/AIDS is once again a favorite topic although I have a sneaking suspicion that the attention won’t last very long—at least not long enough to actually impel people to push more and better HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

This has actually happened many times in the past already. I am not saying Secretary Cabral may be simply paying lip service to the HIV/AIDS issue. As an HIV/AIDS activist who has been working on HIV/AIDS prevention since the eighties, I am fervently hoping and praying that Cabral is serious and sincere in pursuing a more comprehensive, more focused, and more intensive HIV/AIDS prevention program and control program.

My cynicism has basis. All newly appointed Health Secretaries have always used HIV/AIDS to call attention to themselves. There’s really nothing quite like HIV/AIDS as an issue. It is a medical issue, yes. But it is also an explosive social issue as it inevitably encompasses discussions about sexual practices, vulnerable communities, and consequently, discrimination and stigmatization. It is a development issue because HIV/AIDS comes with a great cost and a third-world country such as the Philippines cannot really afford the economic cost of an HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is an economic issue because it affects individuals who are at the prime of their lives—people who are productive and who can contribute the most to their families and to society.

Unfortunately, the country’s HIV/AIDS prevention programs have obviously been a total failure after Juan Flavier’s and Carmencita Reodica’s terms as health secretary. How else do we explain the fact that infection rates have officially doubled last year? We used to be a best-practice showcase in terms of HIV/AIDS prevention and the world looked to the Philippines for lessons in effective HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Today, most non-government organizations working on HIV/AIDS prevention are dead. The very few who are left are gasping for dear breath. There’s hardly any money for HIV/AIDS prevention programs. In fact, there is actually no new money in the system for HIV/AIDS prevention. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Because of the renewed media attention, I received a couple of calls from friends in the call center industry who inquired about the veracity of the Health Secretary’s information. I assured them that Secretary Cabral’s information is founded on empirical data. Data about HIV/AIDS infections in this country are actually very public information and can be accessed online easily. But as in the past, my friends were in full defense mode citing all kinds of possible explanations for the supposed glitch in the statistics. They cited several possible gaps that account for the reported high infection rates among call center agents. Denial is a common reaction when faced with alarming information, particularly about something like HIV/AIDS.

My friends wanted to know if there was a possibility that more call agents tested positive for HIV because the call center industry happened to be the industry with the most number of employees whose demographic profile fit the global profile of those most vulnerable for HIV infection: Young (between the ages of 15-39), sexually active, productive (i.e., with money to spend), etc. This is possible, of course.

My friends also theorized that the call center industry’s liberal recruitment and hiring policies—unlike, say, banks that would supposedly have more stringent hiring requirements in terms of lifestyles and values—probably account for the high incidence of HIV infections among call center agents. Call centers are supposedly more open to hiring candidates who are more outgoing, more sexually active, more open- minded and prone to experimentation. In short, my friends were saying that the phenomenon is not really borne out of factors that are inherent in the call center industry—it’s just that the industry hosts people who are probably more vulnerable to HIV infection. I agreed with them on this score too; all of these are highly feasible.

It is unfortunate that it seems the call center industry seems to have been singled out as breeding ground for HIV/AIDS infection. I don’t think this was really the intent. And I think people should really stop making a causal relationship between the call center industry and HIV/AIDS infections. The last thing we need is for some sanctimonious group or people to being attacking the industry for promoting immorality, and worse, to begin advocating for stringent controls for the industry.

But like I said, this is the nature of the HIV/AIDS issue—there is inherent stigma and discrimination attached to people living with HIV/AIDS or towards people suspected of being susceptible to it. This is why the natural reaction for most people who have been exposed to HIV is to go into denial or to go underground. Which is why HIV information, prevention and education programs need to be empowering to begin with rather than threatening and fear-inducing.

At any rate, the challenge now is putting in place effective HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs. This includes HIV/AIDS in the workplace programs because whether we like it or not, we’ll have to start learning how to manage a workplace that has become a little more challenging than ever before. Whether we like it or not we’ll have to begin putting in place programs that address the distinct needs of people living with HIV/AIDS at work.

Source: Manila Standard Today

HIV cases in Manila

2010-02-23T15:04:00.001+08:00

“PGH on Wednesday said the number of Filipinos infected with HIV rose dramatically in the past 10 months and now includes young urban professionals such as call center agents. Doctors at the PGH Infectious Disease Treatment Complex said the number of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) cases in the hospital rose to 100 in the past 10 months. Records from the Department of Health showed that the number of HIV cases rose to 709 last year, compared to 528 in 2008. Dr. Edsel Savana of the PGH Infectious Disease Treatment Complex said most of those who contract HIV are sex workers, gays and drug addicts. Dr. Katerina Leyritana, however, said hospitals have also recorded HIV cases among young urban professionals such as call center agents. She said majority of the recent HIV cases tend to be younger, mostly from ages 15-29, who are well educated. Some of those infected said they got the illness after engaging in casual or group sex, which they discovered through social networking sites on the Internet. “There are a lot of sites right now that can organize orgies quickly. A lot of young people believe in casual sex,” she said. If current trends hold, the health department said HIV patients in the country could balloon to 20,000 cases by 2020. The PGH said it will conduct a massive information drive to warn people about the possible dangers of unsafe sex. (Source: ABS-CBN)”

DOH chief scores Church for blocking AIDS prevention effort

2010-02-22T09:05:00.002+08:00

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo swears in Dr. Esperanza Cabral as Acting Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) in a ceremony Tuesday (January 26) at Malacanang’s Aguinaldo State Dining Room. (PNA/NIB photo by D.Aguilar)V3/jme

GMA TV News, Philippines
18/02/2010

The Catholic Church should share the blame for the government’s failure to stem the rising number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) infections in the country.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral made this claim on Thursday, saying that the Church is partially blocking government efforts to prevent HIV-AIDS by having people use condoms.

“Masasabi ko na bigo dahil di kumpleto ang ating programa dahil sa malaking pagtutol ng sektor ng simbahan sa third component sa prevention ng HIV-AIDS, at ito ang paggamit ng condom (I can say our program to prevent HIV-AIDS has failed because the Church is blocking the third component of our program, which is to encourage the use of condoms)," Cabral said in an interview on dzXL radio.

The Department of Health had launched a program known by the acronym ABC – where A is for “abstinence from sex", B for “be faithful to your partner" and C for “condom use" to combat HIV-AIDS.

On the other hand, the Catholic Church has been hitting the Health Department’s distribution of condoms last Valentine’s weekend, saying that the action might be misunderstood the government is advocating sexual licentiousness.

The DOH has stood by its decision on the matter. [See: DOH stands by free condoms campaign]

Cabral said that while condoms are not 100-percent foolproof, they help prevent the incidence of HIV-AIDS infection.

She also pointed out that aside from promoting the use of condoms, her department also prioritizes abstinence and being faithful.

“Di 100% foolproof pero ang risk mababawasan talaga. Ang pinaka-foolproof na paraan para di magkaroon ng STD, huwag makipagtalik maski kanino lalaki man o babae (Condoms are not 100 percent foolproof but they help lower the risk. But the most foolproof way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases is to avoid sex with multiple partners, whether with a man or woman)," she said.

Bad to worse
Late last January, University of the Philippines College of Medicine associate professor and Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Infectious Diseases Department head Dr. Edcel Salvana said the HIV-AIDS situation in the country has gone from bad to worse.

Salvana said there were only two HIV confirmed cases in the country in 1984, but the number jumped to 118 after 10 years.

He said that in 2004, confirmed HIV cases reached 199. In 2007 until October of 2009, the number has drastically gone up to 629, more than double the previous years’ recorded cases.

For 2009, Salvana said the Department of Health (DOH) recorded two HIV-AIDS cases daily.

He said there is a possibility that there are many more HIV-AIDS positive people who are not coming out in the open.

Victims of the deadly disease now include teenagers as young as 16 years old, young professionals, medical practitioners, lawyers and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Salvana said all confirmed cases were diagnosed to have acquired the disease through sex. Three-fourths of the victims were male while one-fourth was female.

HIV cases became more prevalent because of current male-to-male or gay-to-gay, lesbian-to-lesbian sexual contacts, with all those involved not using condoms during sexual encounters, she added.

- LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Needle-sharing cause of HIV in Cebu

2010-02-22T09:04:00.000+08:00

Manila Bulletin
18/02/2010

By PHOEBE JEN INDINO

Cebu City — Needle-sharing among drug users is the main reason why there has been an increase in the number of Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive cases in this city, according to Dr. Ilya Tac-an of this city’s Health Department.

Tac-an explained that of the 18 cases recorded last year, 17 involved people engaging in the share of needles.

The youngest age with HIV case recorded here is 15 years old while the oldest is 79.

The city health department has recorded 98 cases of HIV since 1989. Among those who tested positive for the disease were registered sexual worker, OFWs and homosexuals in a male-to-male relationship.

Tac-an also confirmed that those found positive are mostly drug dependents who use unsterilized needles or share used needles, making the latter the mode for viral transmission.

“High-risk behaviors which include unsafe sexual relations, multiple sex partners aside from sharing needles are also among the causes that facilitate the spread of HIV,” she said.

Further, the health official underlined that findings pointing at call center agents being more prone to contract HIV should be clarified as “anybody who is involved in risky sexual behavior and sharing of needles is a possible candidate in getting the said disease, and not only call center agents.”

Region 9 holds consultation on HIV/AIDS

2010-02-18T09:59:00.002+08:00

PIA Daily News, Philippines
16/02/2010

By Narrabelle Zamora-Bue

Zamboanga City (17 February) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development conducted a one-day consultative workshop on HIVAIDS participated by the different government agencies and non-government organizations on February 10 at Astoria Hotel.

The activity aims to support and strengthen the role of social workers/community volunteers and health workers in promoting the rights and welfare of persons with the HIV/AIDS which has been termed as PLHIV (Persons Living with HIV).

The alarming increase of HIV cases has prompted the government to enforce the Philippine Aids Law (RA8504) of which the DSWD is mandated to provide assessment for livelihood opportunities to the infected and the affected persons and the community and to likewise develop programs that will look into their welfare.

DSWD Regional Director Teodulo Romo, in his message, stressed the need to come up with ways on how to assist the PLHIV and the family considering the stigma and discrimination that they experience.

"We hope to look into the psycho-social aspect of the person and the affected family with the goal of providing opportunities for them to participate in skills training and livelihood programs that will empower them and maintain their normalcy as individuals in the community," Romo emphasized.

Ms. Gemma Gabuya, Officer-In-Charge of Social Technology Bureau of DSWD Central Office revealed that the activity is a preparatory for the implementation of the care and Support Services for Persons with HIV/AIDS and their families which was earlier pilot-tested in NCR and Region III.

A harmonized referral system is also one of the expected outputs of the consultative dialogue which will paved the way for a systematic and comprehensive services provided by the government and some NGOs at the regional and provincial level.

Further, a referral system hopes to promote social acceptance and respect for PLHIV and those caring for HIV-infected persons. It will also facilitate their active participation in decisions affecting their lives.

Letter to Partners 2010: Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS

2010-02-17T10:37:00.001+08:00

In his 2010 letter to partners, Mr Michel Sidibé takes stock of his first twelve months in office as UNAIDS Executive Director, and provides his vision for the coming years. Against the backdrop of an epidemic in transition, he outlines a core set of values that can change the course of the epidemic. These include getting equity, banking on evidence, ensuring rights and dignity, aiming for zero new infections while providing treatment for everyone who needs it and leveraging interconnectedness of health and development.

“Our challenge now is to take the progress that countries have made towards universal access and use it to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” said Mr Sidibé.

Setting the agenda for 2010 Mr Sidibé emphasized three issues. First, taking steps towards ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Second, reducing the number of new infections to zero and initiating new thinking around next generation of treatment options. And lastly to focus on tomorrow’s leaders by identifying, mentoring and learning from the younger generation of leaders that will carry the AIDS response ahead.

Read more here

Have your say on Community Systems Strengthening!

2010-02-17T09:21:00.007+08:00

Photo credit: International HIV/AIDS Alliance

ACTION ALERT

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (Alliance) and the International Council of AIDS Services Organizations (ICASO) are conducting an online consultation for civil society to input into the draft framework that has been developed to outline community systems strengthening (CSS for short).

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has developed the CSS Framework in collaboration with other stakeholders to make it clearer the range of community strengthening activities the Global Fund is mandated to support.

We want your views on this framework, which will play an important role for anyone working at a community level.

Filling the gaps
The CSS framework has been developed in recognition that there are gaps in funding for many aspects of community action on HIV, TB, malaria, reproductive health and other health-related issues. It has been developed specifically to support the CSS component of Global Fund grants, but is applicable to all community based activities aimed at improving health though community based action.

By feeding back on the draft framework, you will help further develop what will become a key document, which can:

• Help civil society actors articulate and scale up their activities, and access Global
Fund funding.
• Equip governments to better understand the vital roles of community actors
particularly when building stronger health systems.
• Enable the Global Fund to make informed decisions about awarding grants to
proposals strong in CSS.

How to have your say

1. Read the Draft CSS framework (translations available) and/or the summary
Go to: http://www.aidsa/ llia nce.org/Pagedeta ils.aspx?Id=405

Don't have time to read the full version? Read the summary

• We've read it for you - and condensed the vital information.

2. Have your say on the e-Forum. Join the online focused discussion that will open a
space for dialogue on the framework. Send an email NOW to:
ioin-cssframeworkconsult@eforums.healthdev.org

3. Take the online survey

Available from 16 February at:
http://www.aidsa llia nce.org/Pagedeta ils.aspx?Id=405

4. Get your friends to have their say. Use the 'send to a friend link' below, or use the
social networking icons to spread the word.

5. Watch out for more details on how to participate over the next few weeks.

It is in all our interests to make sure that the CSS framework is as strong as possible so please participate!

For further information, email Taline Haytayan at the Alliance at thaytayan@aidsalliance.org
The International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO) is the global host for the
Civil Society Action Team (CSAT). For CSAT-related information, contact us at csat@icaso.org or read about the work of CSAT at http://www.csactionteam.org

DOLE warns employers vs HIV/AIDS discrimination

2010-02-17T08:08:00.002+08:00

Photo source: WN / Trigedia

GMA TV News, Philippines
16/02/2010

As it intensified its prevention drive on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday warned employers against discriminating employees afflicted with the disease.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque issued the warning as his department intensified its information drive on HIV and AIDS prevention in workplaces.

In a statement, Roque reminded employers of the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, where HIV testing should not be required as a precondition for employment.

Any form of discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS is sanctioned, he said.

Roque also said he has directed the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) to intensify its efforts in reaching and informing workers on the dangers of risky behaviors at the workplace that may lead to HIV/AIDS infection.

He also urged companies to set up a comprehensive HIV/AIDS policy and program that will deal with prevention and elimination of discrimination of persons with HIV/AIDS.

Figures from the Department of Health (DOH) indicated a steep increase in the number of reported HIV and AIDS cases in the 25-34 year-age group.

Republic Act 8504 also includes provisions that require HIV/AIDS education programs to be given in all government and private offices and in communities.

- KBK, GMANews.TV

7 candidates slam DOH over free condoms

2010-02-16T10:54:00.005+08:00

photo source AP

Presidential candidates for the May 10, 2010 national eletions, from left, Sen. Benigno Aquino III, Sen. Richard Gordon, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas, John Carlos De Los Reyes, Gilbert Teodoro, Eddie Villanueva, show their stand for a clean elections following a forum with foreign correspondents based in Manila, Philippines Monday Feb. 15, 2010. Nine candidates are running for a fixed 6-year term for the highest position of the land in the first-ever automated elections in May.

By Cathy C. Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:36:00 02/16/2010

Filed Under: Inquirer Politics, Eleksyon 2010, Family planning, Religion & Belief, Health

MANILA, Philippines—No more free condoms—not on Valentine’s Day or on any conceivable occasion.

The Department of Health (DoH) had better not do a repeat of last weekend’s caper of distributing free condoms at the Dangwa market to people buying flowers for their Valentine.

Seven presidential candidates were asked Monday at a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) whether they would fund the distribution of free condoms or other forms of artificial birth control.

All seven said they were not keen on funding the freebies, whether to prevent pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Sen. Richard Gordon of the Bagumbayan Party said giving away condoms was useless unless its purpose was properly explained.

“[Because of] poor education, Filipinos cannot even discern whether they need a condom or not,” he said.

Information campaign

Gordon and independent candidate Sen. Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal agreed that instead of giving away free condoms, the DoH should have conducted an information campaign on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

“It should have been information-driven,” Madrigal said, adding that HIV, which causes AIDS, is transmitted by blood transfusion or sexual contact with an infected person.

Sen. Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party pointed out that Congress, not Malacañang, had power over the government purse, meaning, the President had no authority over funds for the DoH or for condoms.

“I support responsible parenthood,” he said.

However, Aquino raised fears that the Valentine weekend gimmick could be used to justify “the renewal of the same budget” in the future.

In what context?

Environmentalist Nicanor Perlas said he was not against the use of condoms per se but he was concerned why the government was distributing them.

“It depends on the context. It happened on Feb. 14. So, under what context was it done?” he said.

Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro said the use of family planning methods, whether natural or artificial, remained “the moral choice of the person” concerned.
“The government must be willing to support [the person’s decision] in the context of a program. So I am not excluding any particular method,” he clarified.

Personal choice

However, Teodoro said the issue of HIV/AIDS could involve the use of condoms as a preventive measure.

“HIV is a real and present threat. In the case of a private person consulting with physicians of the government or nongovernmental organizations, there is a need to respect the physician-patient privilege. In terms of disease prevention, because of fear or stigma, privacy should remain supreme,” he said.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Bangon Pilipinas Movement said his group maintained its opposition to the use of “all forms of abortion because it is murder per se.”

The Catholic Church allows only natural family planning and considers the use of artificial contraceptives as abortive.

Villanueva said he would leave it to the parents to guide their children on making such personal choices.

Villanueva added that the government’s budget for free condoms should have been allocated to programs that would “propel the economic engine.”

Thai experience

Olongapo Councilor JC de los Reyes cited Thailand’s experience where its massive campaign for condom use backfired, resulting in higher incidence of AIDS.

“The government must push for moral policies. The condom campaign is a waste of money. It is uneconomical and immoral,” he said.

Presidential candidates Manny Villar and Joseph Estrada were no-shows at the presidential forum.

Health authorities meet against AIDS

2010-02-16T09:27:00.001+08:00

Philstar, Philippines
12/02/2010
By Jessica Ann R. Pareja

Following reports of increasing HIV cases in the country, health authorities met yesterday to discuss ways to prevent the disease.

Dr. Jose Gerard Belimac, manager of National AIDS and STI Prevention and Control Program (NASPC) of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said that time will come that patients will develop resistance to antiretroviral drugs, which is currently the most common and available medication for HIV patients.

Antiretroviral drugs (ARD), also known as antiretroviral treatment (ART), work to suppress the multiplication of the virus.

“The use of combination antiretroviral therapy has significantly improved the survival of people with HIV and AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome). The evolution of drug resistant subpopulation of HIV can significantly limit the ability of ART to suppress viral replication. Resistance to Antiretroviral drugs is the most important cause of treatment failure,” NASPC said.

Belimac said that so far, there are no reports of resistance to ARD but if this happens, the more health authorities will have a hard time solving the problem on HIV infection

“There is still no cure for the disease and even the treatment is lifelong for HIV patients. If they develop resistance to the treatment, it will increase the fatality in a short span of time,” Belimac said.

Belimac said that in 2000, one HIV case is reported every three days but in 2009, two new cases are already reported in a day.

He said that so far, the country is capable of providing treatment available to 13 treatment hubs all over the country. In Cebu, there is only one treatment hub at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

“The problem is more on social issues of the patients. Sometimes patients do not come back for follow-ups. If there is no constant follow-up, their condition may be upgraded to a higher regimen which will already be costly for them,” Belimac said.

He said that for first line regimen or the early stage of HIV, treatment is given for free by DOH to those who are diagnosed in any of the 13 treatment hubs.

The budget per patient per month is P10,000 for the ART which is being implemented by DOH since 2004.

Belimac said that budget comes from donations from foreign donors and from the DOH allocation for HIV. He reported that last year, DOH spent P6 million for the treatment of HIV patients.

Belimac urged the public that those vulnerable to the disease better have themselves diagnosed early for early treatment and prevention.

“Because symptoms will not show up until after 10 years when the disease is already in its acute stage,” she said.

Belimac said that those vulnerable to HIV are individuals who had multiple sex partners and those who have used prohibited drugs.

Copyright © 2009. Philstar

ARMM doctors alarmed by unrecorded HIV-AIDS cases

2010-02-11T14:55:00.003+08:00

photo source: http://everywheremag.com

By Charlie Señase
Inquirer Mindanao
First Posted 06:38:00 02/10/2010

Filed Under: Health, Overseas Employment, Epidemic and Plague

COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- Authorities have warned the public about the growing incidence of HIV-AIDS after official health records showed that four Filipino women from the island provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, who have held jobs overseas, have been afflicted with HIV-AIDS.

Dr. Tahir Sulaik, former ARMM health secretary, said an OFW health worker afflicted with the dreaded disease along with the three others reportedly got infected in their places of assignment abroad.

"We discovered them in 2009 and they are all women OFWs," said Sulaik, who has returned to his former post as Maguindanao health chief.

"The entry of HIV cases in the region is not the sole responsibility of the health department but should also be the concern of everybody within ARMM, knowing the health hazard that it poses to others," said Sulaik, who has been replaced by Dr. Kadil Sinolinding as regional health secretary during a recent Cabinet reorganization following the suspension of ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, who has been linked to the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre.

Sinolinding said, "it is not remote though that we might have other unreported cases of HIV positives in the region."

The new ARMM health chief assured the public he would continue Sulaik's vigorous programs for a region-wide disease detection in order to prevent more infections.

"So far no HIV cases have been recorded this year, but we cannot discount the possibility that there could be more (unreported cases)," Sinolinding said.

He attributed the unrecorded HIV cases to shame, conservative culture, family sensitivity, and fear of those with HIV-AIDS of being ostracized by society.

Both Sulaik and Sinolinding encouraged patients to consult health experts or get treatment at the nearest health centers anywhere in the ARMM.

BPO sector asked to address HIV in workplace

2010-02-10T08:33:00.003+08:00

photo source: blog.estadao.com.br

By SHIANEE MAMANGLU
February 9, 2010, 4:06pm
Manila Bulletin

Employers in business process outsourcing (BPO) sector were asked Tuesday to seriously tackle HIV/AIDS in the workplace after an increase in the number of positive HIV cases was noted among its workers.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino said that the BPO executives must face the matter with sensitivity in order not to alienate individuals in the workplace sick with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

“Instead of being irrationally defensive and trivializing the matter, BPO companies should face the problem and express collective concern given the work-related, unhealthy routine of their employees,’’ Palatino said in a statement.

“There is really a need to educate both the BPO workers and their employers.
Education and awareness is the resolution, not discrimination,’’ he said.

Palatino was reacting to a study conducted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) and the Department of Health-Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), which indicated an alarming HIV-prone lifestyle of some BPO workers.

The study showed that due to their environment and peer pressure, call center agents “tend to involve in risky sexual behaviors.’’

“More call center workers have early penetrative premarital sex and have had sex with same sex. Twenty percent of male call center agents are commercial sex workers while 14 percent of them give payment in exchange for sex,’’ the study said.

The study also revealed there are more call center agents who have a regular non-romantic sexual partner.

The study entitled: “Lifestyle and Reproductive Health Issues of Young Professionals in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu’’ was aimed at examining the economic, social and health status of young professionals less than 35 years old working at call centers and non-call centers.

It included 929 respondents from 35 BPO establishments, who have at least completed two years of college.

Authors of the study had underscored, however, that it is not safe to conclude that the higher prevalence of sexual risk behavior among call center workers can be attributed to working in the call centers.

But some BPO executives were too quick to justify the reported increase (in HIV among its workers), adding that they conduct HIV tests before hiring.

Palatino said the statements of the BPO executives were “discriminatory,’’ stressing that the HIV tests should be optional.

Citing Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, Palatino said "compulsory HIV testing shall be considered unlawful" and "discrimination, in all its forms and subtleties, against individuals with HIV or persons perceived or suspected of having HIV shall be considered inimical to individual and national interest.”

The party-list lawmaker said that BPO firms should use the study as a guide in seriously looking at the risky behavior of their workers.

In a related development, President Arroyo said that jobs in the BPO firms are expected to hit the one million mark within the year amid the continued growth of the industry.

Increase in HIV cases in Negros Occidental reported

2010-02-08T08:44:00.001+08:00

ABS-CBN News, Philippines
05/02/2010

By Barbara Mijares, ABS-CBN Negros

MANILA, Philippines – The provincial health office in Negros Occidental on Friday reported an increased number of HIV/AIDS cases recorded in 2009.

The health office said a total of 14 cases were recorded last year, which translates to a 16% increase as compared to 2008 where only 12 cases were reported.

It said that since 1993 to 2009, a total of 109 cases have been recorded, with 27 deaths allegedly due to complications brought about by the disease.

Dr. Luisa Efren of the provincial health office said majority of those found positive for HIV/AIDS are working or have worked abroad.

Efren urged Negrenses to bear in mind the practice of “ABCs” (Abstinence, Be faithful to your partner and Condom).

She said that core teams, which would be responsible for counselling people living with AIDS, are already in place in 4 hospitals in the province namely the Kabankalan District Hospital, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Cadiz District Hospital and Silay Provincial Hospital.

She added that the core teams also provides and assists AIDS victims with their medication.

Efren, however, clarified that only the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital gives out retro-viral drugs. The other hospitals provide medicines for diseases that may have been caused by failing immune systems of people living with HIV/AIDS.

She said that there may be more unreported cases of HIV/AIDS in the province because people with the disease avoid public seeking medical help out of shame and because of discrimination.

Cops also vulnerable to HIV—police

2010-02-08T08:34:00.001+08:00

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:07:00 02/02/2010

Filed Under: Health, Police, Diseases

MANILA, Philippines—Aside from call center agents, policemen are also vulnerable to getting infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to the nature of their work, the Philippine National Police revealed.

"They are usually transferred to different places from time to time and are, therefore, away from their families for long periods of time (and may be lonely)," according to an information campaign spearheaded by the PNP.

Police are also constantly exposed to police operations involving prostitution, drugs, and violent crimes, adding to their vulnerability.

The PNP also reported a high incidence of accidents involving policemen that require them to undergo blood transfusion, the PNP said.

Because of these vulnerabilities, the PNP launched an information campaign in an effort to protect its members from acquiring HIV.

HIV is a virus that destroys the body's ability to fight infection and disease, leading to full-blown AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). It spreads through sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, and from mother to child during pregnancy.

In a handout distributed to policemen titled, "AIDS Awareness and Prevention Card for the PNP," the PNP listed down the rights of policemen infected with HIV.

Citing Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, the PNP said all HIV victims "cannot be denied access to employment and livelihood, admission in schools, travel and habitation, appointive office, credit and insurance, health care and decent burial services."

The PNP also cited other reasons why policemen are especially vulnerable to HIV: They comprise the age group of early 20s to mid 40s—the age of most HIV infected Filipinos; and they have high probability of engaging in casual sex without the use of condoms.

The PNP advised its members to modify their lifestyle and seek medical attention to avoid being infected with HIV.

"You cannot tell if someone has HIV or AIDS simply by looking. A person living with HIV may look and feel healthy and may not even know he or she is infected."
"A blood test is the only way a person can find out one's HIV status," the PNP said

When	12 August 2011
Where	SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Philippines
Type	Conference
Regions and countries covered	Asia; Philippines
Unit responsible	ILO Country Office for the Philippines
Subjects	decent work, employment, youth employment, young workers