Global report calls for more AIDS education in RP

A NEW global report on AIDS has placed the prevalence rate in the Philippines “well under 0.1 percent” of the adult population — less serious than most of its neighbors.

The UNAIDS report, however, said there is no guarantee that such situation will last, as risky practices continue: condom use remains low in paid sex, intravenous drug use is common in some areas, and there is “apparent complacency” among the youth about the epidemic.

The new report, which has just been released in Geneva, gives estimates of the current global scope of the Aids epidemic and its cost to human lives. It says sub-Saharan Africa remains the hot spot, as more than six in every 10 of the 4.3 million new infections this year were recorded in the region.

UNAids cited efforts in the Philippines to screen and test sex workers for sexually transmitted infections. Other prevention efforts started a decade ago, the report added, have helped contain the rise in number of infections during paid sex. (Read the report on Asia.)

At the same time, the researchers expressed concern over findings of Philippine health authorities that three in every five 14-20-year-olds believe they cannot contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Moreover, the use of condom that helps prevent transmission of the virus remains low among sex workers. Using latest Philippine government data, UNAIDS noted that a mere 6 percent of sex workers said they used condoms with all their clients in the week preceding the survey.

Following are some of the updates from the UNAIDS report:

• The global AIDS epidemic continues to grow.
• Declines in infection rates are being noted in some countries.
• Overall, young people are becoming more aware of the epidemic.
• 39.5 million people across the globe are now living with HIV.
• This year, 2.9 million have died of AIDS-related illnesses.
• Even limited resources can spell a huge difference in battling the spread of HIV if focused on those who are most at-risk of the virus.

View a global summary of statistics here. And this is the link to all chapters of the full report.