LGUs urged to exercise political will vs HIV-AIDS

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines – Local government units’ (LGUs) should exercise political will in implementing best practices to stop the spread of HIV or the human immuno-deficiency virus, which leads to the fatal AIDS, an official of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) said.

Dr. Ferchito Avelino, PNAC executive director, said LGUs have been mandated under Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act to help fight the disease.

He, however, said many LGUs have not acted to stop the HIV-AIDS threat.

“It is high time for all sectors, especially the Church and the government, to work towards preventing and controlling the spread of HIV in the country,” Avelino told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday.

Although condoms could not guarantee 100-percent prevention of the HIV, condom use has proven its high batting average in preventing the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases among sexually active people, married or not, he said.

“We strongly adhere to moral foundations in the campaign and this is where the Church plays a major role. We need to let people understand and realize the risk of engaging in unprotected sex and in multiple sex partners, using drugs and sharing of injecting equipment,” Avelino explained.

He said LGUs must be steadfast in ensuring the welfare of their constituents, which would mean providing the opportunities and venues to access information, services and commodities.

Avelino explained that in 1997, Bicol region was 5th among the regions in the country with high a number of reported cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) while the number of HIV cases has been growing since the first case was reported in 1987.

“We need to work together to address this threat and we need the church and the LGUs as partners in the prevention, rather than engaging in an unending debate. We need to realize that for every day spent in debate, two Filipinos get infected with HIV,” Avelino warned.

He revealed 93 Bicolanos have been infected with HIV. –Rey M. Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon