Phl still in shortlist of countries with steady rise in AIDS cases

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is still in the shortlist of countries reporting a steady rise in HIV/AIDS cases while the rest of the world, including Zambia and Zimbabwe, are now experiencing a decline in the epidemic, the UNAIDS Report on Global AIDS Epidemic 2012 showed.

The report, prepared by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, revealed that from two nations in 2010, the number of countries reporting a 25-percent increase in HIV/AIDS cases from 2001 to 2011 had risen to nine.

The nine countries are Bangladesh, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Republic of Moldova and Sri Lanka.

In the 2010 report, however, the seven nations were identified as Philippines, Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.         

The rates of new infections, on the other hand, in Zambia and Zimbabwe have declined by 50 percent in the past decade. The list also includes Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Malawi, Myanmar, Namibia, Rwanda, Thailand and Togo.

The data was based on the “comprehensive reports on progress” provided by 186 nations which comprise 96 percent of the 193 UN member states.

“Although much of the news on AIDS is encouraging, challenges remain. The number of people newly infected globally is continuing to decline, but national epidemics continue to expand in many parts of the world,” the 2012 report said.

UNAIDS country representative Teresita Marie Bagasao said based on the records of the Department of Health (DOH), the rising trend in the Philippines is now primarily caused by “unprotected sex among men who have sex with men (MSM).”

“The Philippines was already in the 2010 report, which means we are in the same level. Our situation has not changed. The increase in new infections continues,” Bagasao noted.

She stressed the need to step up the prevention and control programs for HIV/AIDS by promoting the use of condoms and intensifying education campaign among MSM.

“Based on the report of the DOH, condom use is low. So that means as a program intervention, it is not enough. But that is only one factor. The key populations like MSM should be reached by information and services. How can they use condoms if they do not know and they don’t have access? So, coverage is not enough while the utilization of condoms for prevention is low,” she said.

The report showed that the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among MSM in capital cities is on average 13 times higher than that in the country’s general population.