CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) has backed out from its plan to distribute condoms in schools, said Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial yesterday.
During recent meetings with her counterparts in the Department of Education (DepEd), she said there will be no more distribution in schools because the DepEd has not agreed to do so.
"We tried to work out with DepEd but in the process, they don't want to provide the commodity (condoms) in schools," said Ubial at the sidelights of the Forum on Neglected Tropical Diseases at the Bayfront Hotel in Cebu.
The DepEd will however continue with its information and education program, or the comprehensive sexuality education campaign, including topics on how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
As this develops, the Health secretary said that the provision of services (such as the distribution of condoms, etc.) will remain at the health centers and in hospitals.
Last year, Ubial drew flack from conservative groups and parents when she announced plans to distribute condoms in elementary schools.
Ubial said that the age bracket of those infected with STDs and HIV/AIDS had become younger and one way to prevent the further spread of the disease is to educate the younger population and those in schools.
Additionally, Ubial said the DOH will continue its fight against the elimination of five neglected tropical diseases (NTD) that victimize mostly the poor population without adequate sanitation.
"We have gone a long way since we started our first NTD forum in 2012. So far, it has paved a way in forging strong partnerships resulting to triumphant stories in NTD elimination," she said.
Ubial said that as of 2016, ten out of 28 provinces have reached the goal of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem; 35 out of 45 endemic provinces have eliminated lymphatic filariasis; 41 areas declared rabies-free; and 17 out of 79 surveyed provinces have reduced the prevalence of soil transmitted helminthiasis to less than 20 percent, while leprosy maintained the national elimination ration at less than 1 per 10,00 population.
According to the World Health Organization, NTDs are diverse groups of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and sub-tropical conditions in 149 countries which affect more than one billion people, costing developing economies billions of dollars every year. — (FREEMAN)