UNDP: People with HIV suffer stigma, discrimination in Philippines

Manila – People with HIV/AIDS suffer from stigmatization and discrimination in the Philippines, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official said Tuesday.

UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer said that according to a baseline study conducted in 2009, one in two people living with HIV/AIDS in the Philippines ‘had their rights abused.’

‘Because of their HIV status, these people were detained, quarantined or segregated, forced to submit themselves to medical or health procedures, refused provision of basic health services and denied health or life insurance,’ he said.

The study also revealed that six out of 10 people with HIV/AIDS lost their jobs, while one in 10 was denied job promotions due to the illness, Meyer told a forum marking Wednesday’s World AIDS Day in Manila.

One out of 10 HIV/AIDS patients was also forced to change residence or not allowed to rent accommodation, he added.

Meyer said government data also showed that the coverage of HIV/AIDS prevention services for high-risk populations was ‘a dismal 38 per cent, a far cry from the universal target of 80 per cent.’

The Philippines ‘fared relatively well’ on access to anti-retroviral treatment at 82 per cent, he said.

But the service ‘has been plagued by sustainability issues, especially with the increased demand from the ever-increasing number of people getting infected each day, coupled with depleting resources,’ he added.

According to the Department of Health, 5,729 HIV cases were recorded in the Philippines from January 1984 to October 2010. Of those, 852 now have AIDS.