Low prevalence Philippines has increasing cases

[Posted by Chitoism on nakakalibog Yahoo! Group, 26 August 2008]

DOH Acts To Prevent Full Blown AIDS Epidemic

MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Health (DoH) is undertaking measures to prevent what Secretary Francisco Duque III said might be a "full-blown epidemic" of HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome), as he acknowledged an increase in cases despite the Philippines' being a "low prevalence" country.

"Although the Philippines remains to be a low prevalence country, it should not be a reason to be complacent as statistics and trends show that the number of those infected are on the rise," Duque said at the opening Tuesday of the three-day Regional Consultative Meeting on Universal Access to HIV Prevention and AIDS Treatment, Care and Support in Low Prevalence Countries, which the country is hosting at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City.

The second conference of its kind, the event gathers delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste.

UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS) describes "low prevalence countries" as those with less than one percent of the general population infected with the HIV virus.

Duque said the average rate of recording HIV-positive patients shot up to 29 cases monthly in 2007 from the 20 cases a month recorded in previous years.

Some 3,305 HIV cases have been reported in the country since 1984, 793 of which are full-blown AIDS cases.

Of the 793 afflicted with AIDS, 310 have died, the DoH said.

Sexual intercourse remains to be the leading mode of transmission in the country, it added.

The DoH reported that transmission of the virus through heterosexual contact dropped from 193 cases in 2006 to 139 cases in 2007. Transmission through homosexual (81 cases in 2006 to 107 cases in 2007) and bisexual (26 cases in 2006 to 74 in 2007) contact, on the other hand, has increased.

The age groups with the most number of cases are 25- to 29-years-old (21 percent), 30- to 34-years-ld (21 percent), and the 35- to 39-years-old (17 percent).

The statistics have prompted the DoH to launch campaigns that focus on the "governance, prevention, treatment, care and support" aspects of the HIV/AIDS issue said Duque.

Local health systems in the country are being "strengthened" by training health service workers and procuring basic equipment for social hygiene clinics all over the country, Duque said.

Thirty-nine local government units have set up HIV/AIDS responses in their communities with 100% condom use campaigns, established of 32 public voluntary counseling centers, and are coordinating with religious organizations.

The DoH has also established 11 treatment centers all over the country where some 336 HIV/AIDS patients are receiving free anti-retroviral treatments.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) has approved health benefits for HIV/AIDS patients.

Community-based training in care, support and treatment for both patients and their families has also been established in some communities, the DoH said.

All these projects are in accordance with recommendation in the AIDS Commission Report that even low prevalence countries should focus their attention on prevention and making affordable treatment available to HIV/AIDS patients.