The Commission congratulates the Department of Health (DOH) for the signing of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the RA 11166 or Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act. With the IRR, we can now look forward to the expedient and proper execution of the said law, which is a concrete step in the efforts to curb the growing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in the country.
The Philippines was cited as the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Asia and the Pacific region according to a report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2017. DOH also said that approximately 93,400 Filipinos will live with HIV by the end of the year. Hence, the efficient and urgent roll-out of these policies cannot be overemphasised.
It is notable that the new law ensures application of human rights principles to address stigma and discrimination. Given that about 30% of new cases affect the youth, it also enables minors 15 years of age to get tested even without consent. The law also ascertains that “no HIV/AIDS patient shall be denied or deprived of public health insurance and private life insurance coverage on the basis of a person’s HIV status.” In addition, the Insurance Commission made sure that there will be medical coverage to people living with HIV (PLHIV) by health maintenance organisations under their recently released Circular Letter No. 2019-30.
However, there are reports regarding inadequate supply of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which are crucial for the treatment of PLHIVs. To truly provide proper medication and treatment, it is exigent to guarantee the sufficient and steady supply of ARVs. With the increasing surge of patients, it is imperative for the DOH to accurately forecast the demand and immediately address the gaps in the supply chain. Proactive measures to educate the public on the transmission and how to avoid the infection at the onset are equally important.
As the IRR endeavours to forge stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to fight HIV, we are hopeful that this will also pave the way for the elimination of discrimination towards PLHIV. Through a human rights approach, we can better safeguard the dignity of PLHIV while helping ensure that fewer people will get infected. ###