Discrimination vs AIDS victims hampers efforts to curb the disease

MANILA, Philippines – Discrimination against sufferers of AIDS in the Philippines hampers efforts to curb the spread of the disease, said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).   

UNDP country director Renaud Meyer said that in 2009, one in two AIDS victims in the Philippines experienced abuse, despite being granted protection under the Philippine AIDS law.

“Because of their HIV status, these people were detained, quarantined or segregated, forced to submit themselves to medical or health procedure, refused provision of basic health services and denied health or life insurance,” Mayer said, citing a baseline study conducted in October last year.

The study showed that six in 10 AIDS sufferers were dismissed from their jobs while one in 10 is denied a job promotion. One in 10, on the other hand, was denied a residential lease.

Phl has dismal record of HIV preventiom

UNDP said that in the country, the coverage of HIV prevention services for sectors most at risk of contracting the disease is a “dismal” 38 percent against the target of 80 percent.

Meyer said, however, that the Philippines “fared relatively well” on access to anti-retroviral treatment, with a coverage of 82 percent.

“This 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 said.

Meyer noted that because of this situation, the Philippines advised in 2008 that it is least likely to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6-the elimination of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases-by 2015.

“The attainment of this goal is severely challenged by the low coverage of prevention services and the continuing stigma and discrimination associated with AIDS,” he said.

He said since the creation of the MDGs in 2000, the incidence of HIV infection in the country has increased threefold.

Meyer said, however, the country’s situation is “not all grim” because of the combined efforts of local government units and other stakeholder in response to HIV and AIDS.

“We, at the UN, firmly believe that the key to achieving the MDGs is through the localization of responses to where it impacts the most. For this, the role of the local leaders and local stakeholders in the response to HIV and AIDS is indeed very crucial,” he said. –Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)