House OKs anti-HIV/AIDS bill

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading a bill mandating new strategies in the fight against the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the country.

“We have very high hopes we will have a new Acquired Immune Deficiency (AIDS) prevention and control law by mid-year at the latest,” Rep. Arnel Ty of the party-list group Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association, one of the authors of bill, said yesterday.

Ty said the Senate is scheduled to conduct a hearing today on a counterpart bill authored by Sen. Miriam Santiago.

He said the anti-HIV/AIDS measures mandate the Philippine National AIDS Council to draw up a fresh six-year program with definite targets to reverse the average 45 percent annual increase in new HIV cases in the country since 2010.

HIV causes AIDS, which destroys the human body’s immune system and still does not have any cure. However, anti-retroviral therapy can slow down the ailment.

According to the Department of Health, HIV is being spread in the country primarily through high-risk sexual contact, predominantly male-to-male sex, and needle sharing among illegal drug users.

A total of 3,338 new HIV infections were diagnosed nationwide in 2012, up by 42 percent or 989 cases, compared to the 2,349 detected in 2011.

Once enacted, Ty said the anti-HIV/AIDS bill “will go a long way in improving the living conditions of HIV-positive people through greater access to treatment, care and support.”

“The bill also sets tougher penalties for entities and individuals who discriminate against HIV-positive people as well as those who violate their rights to confidentiality,” he said.

He said there is still time to pass the measure into law if the Senate approves its version next week.