Getting to Zero
World Aids Day is celebrated on December 1 every year to raise awareness on issues surrounding Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). It encourages people to support those living with HIV, remembers those who have passed on, and harnesses global cooperation to stop the spread of HIV. From 2011 to 2015, the multi-year theme is: “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths.”
The first World AIDS Day was observed in 1988 after health ministers agreed to devote a day to highlight the enormity of the problem and ensure universal treatment, care, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been leading the global health sector response to HIV.
As of 2013, AIDS had killed more than 39 million people worldwide, and an estimated 35.3 million people are living with HIV. Today we view HIVC as an important global public issue. Despite improved access to antiretroviral treatment in many countries, AIDS claims an estimated two million lives each year, of whom about 270,000 are children. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, with 24.7 million people living with HIV in 2013.
The Philippines of course is not far behind, much more Davao City. Our rate of increase now is described to be fast and furious. The Philippines is the only country from Southeast Asia which made it to the list of only 7 countries where the trend is increasing by more than 25% while the rest of our neighbors are going down or at least at a mitigated level. More particularly, Davao City ranks second to Metro Manila with MSM (Males Who Have Sex with Males) unprotected sex as the primary means of transmission, affecting largely the young people 15-24 years old.
In the most recent Young Adult Fertility Survey of the UP Population Institute, the data showed that, of the young people in the Davao region, 93% still believes that AIDS is curable and that 60% of them believe they will never obtain HIV. Many of them still hold the notion that HIV can be transmitted through mosquito bites, through hugging and kissing, or through sneezing or coughing. These data show that our young people still hold in them a lot of misconceptions which led to risky health behavior and practices. Education becomes imperative therefore.
These misconceptions also lead to a lot of unfounded discrimination and up to some extent, violation of fundamental human rights. In APILA, we have assisted clients who were terminated from job when the management learned of his HIV status. Another was stripped off of his scholarship and was prevented from pursuing his OJT on the pretext that he is unfit for training. Also someone with HIV was not provided dental services by a dentist for fear that she might be infected with HIV. This shows that miseducation leads to discrimination and discrimination heightens the stigma against HIV and AIDS.
It is for this reason why the Philippines enacted RA 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998. The law requires all academic institutions to regularly hold an information campaign to prevent HIV. It highlights our role in getting to zero, both as an academe and as an employment institution. It also provides the rights of people living and affected with HIV and AIDS. Among these rights are: the right to privacy, the right to confidentiality, freedom from discrimination and freedom from compulsory testing. Today, HIV testing remains to be voluntary in the country. Therefore, no one should be compelled to submit to testing as a requirement for admission or employment.
The challenge to eradicate HIV and AIDS is really daunting. But together, we can slowly manage it. We know what works: we know that prevention and treatment pay dividends; and we know that a rights-based approach must spearhead our efforts towards the ultimate goal of "zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths". Strengthening the rights of stigmatised population groups must remain in the political spotlight.
(Photo grabbed from PAGEONE)
