Lawmakers back P1-billion budget to combat HIV/AIDS

Lawmakers threw yesterday all support to the P1-billion funding allocated by the Aquino administration in the next year’s proposed national budget to curb growing cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in the country.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who heads the House Independent Bloc took note of the government’s efforts to address the HIV/AIDS cases as the country.

The Philippines was cited in several reports as among the countries with the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS cases in the world.

ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION

Romualdez urged the Aquino government to also address the discrimination and stigma against those infected with the global killer disease.

“We should show malasakit (compassion) to them (HIV/AIDS carriers) because a better understanding will be helpful in our fight against the disease,” he said.

P1.08-B BUDGET

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto earlier said the government has earmarked P1.08-billion in the 2016 national budget to combat HIV/AIDS in 2016. The allocation will finance the treatment and testing of 35,000 confirmed and suspected HIV/AIDS cases.

“The proposal of Senator Recto is timely and we support his proposal to strengthen the program aimed at prevention and testing that will increase awareness about AIDS,” Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

RISING CASES

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that almost 600 new cases of HIV/AIDS were recorded in the country last August.

According to the data from the HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines, a total 598 new cases of HIV was recorded last August, bringing the number of cases within the first eight months of the year to 5,209.

More than one-third or 225 new HIV cases in August came from the National Capital Region; followed by 99 in Calabrazon; 54 in Central Visayas; 54 in Central Luzon; and 29 in Davao Region.

Since 1984, 27,736 HIV/AIDS cases have been recorded in the country with 1,296 fatalities. (With reports from Charina Clarisse L. Echaluce and Genalyn D. Kabiling)

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/lawmakers-back-p1-billion-budget-to-combat-hivaids/#LG4B7JXfork1GXxo.99