House probe sought on HIV surge

MANILA, Philippines – Congress should investigate the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country, a party-list lawmaker said Sunday.

Legislators need to assess the implementation of the 12-year-old Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act, said LPGMA party-list Rep. Arnel Ty, who has filed House Resolution 724 that calls for the probe.

“We have to ascertain whether existing policies and measures under the 1998 law are adequate to suppress the HIV/AIDS epidemic and improve the conditions of Filipinos living with the destructive disease,” Ty said in a press statement.

“We also have to find out if the mandates of the law are being fulfilled fast enough, and enforced rigorously,” he added.

Citing government figures, Ty said new HIV cases in the country could hit more than 1,500 this year, nearly double the 835 cases reported in 2009.

A total of 1,305 new HIV cases have already been reported from January to October this year, according to the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry.

Ty cited an earlier warning made by Dr. Edsel Salvana, a specialist in infectious diseases, that the country could have up to 20,000 new HIV cases over the next 5 years.

Salvana had said that by 2015, government would have to spend P1 billion annually just to acquire the anti-retroviral drugs needed to treat HIV-positive Filipinos.

Scientists have yet to find a cure for the illness. Some medications are available to slow the growth of HIV in a victim’s body, keep the patient’s immune system strong, and reduce complications due to the disease.

The new HIV cases reported in the 10 months to October brought to 5,729 the total cases listed in the National HIV and AIDS Registry since passive surveillance began in 1984.

The registry lists 323 deaths due to AIDS, including two this year.

Ty also asked the House committee on health to look into a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) study, which revealed that half of all AIDS victims in the Philippines suffer discrimination and abuse.

The UNDP study showed that six in 10 victims of AIDS in the country were thrown out of work, one in 10 was deprived of a job promotion, while one in 10 was rejected as a residential tenant.

“The results of the study are disturbing, considering we have a tough law protecting HIV positive persons from mistreatment,” Ty said.

Under Republic Act 8504 or the AIDS Prevention and Control Law, victims of the disease are protected against “discriminatory acts and policies” in settings such as the workplace, in school, and in travel, and habitation.

Those found mistreating AIDS sufferers face up to 4 years in prison and fined P10,000, in addition to the revocation of their licenses or permits in the case of institutions or establishments, Ty warned.  –abs-cbnNEWS.com