EDITORIAL — My health, my right

The COVID pandemic is over, but another virus continues to debilitate and claim lives worldwide, with new infections on the rise in the Philippines.

Last month, the Department of Health reported an increase in the number of newly diagnosed Advanced HIV Disease and AHD deaths in the country. The DOH cites recent data showing that the country has the fastest-growing epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus in Asia and the Pacific. Last year, 48 new HIV cases were diagnosed daily on average in the Philippines. The number went up to 58 in the second quarter of 2024.

Deaths from HIV/AIDS are also on the rise, from fewer than 100 annually before 2011, to over 400 by 2015 and hitting 879 in 2022. This year, from January to August, 464 deaths from HIV/AIDS have been recorded, with 28 occurring in August alone. The DOH also expressed concern that diagnosed HIV cases in the country are getting younger, with the predominant age group shifting from among those aged 35 to 49 in 2002 to 2005, to 25 to 34 years old beginning in 2006.

There is still no cure for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. But there are drug cocktails for treating symptoms as well as medical interventions for preventing early death and allowing the person living with HIV/AIDS to enjoy relatively good health. For this, health experts have stressed the importance of early detection. But this has been hindered by unequal access to health care as well as the continuing stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, which discourages people from seeking professional help. As the World Health Organization has pointed out, persons living with HIV/AIDS continue to face the double burden of the disease itself and the stigma.

The Philippines has passed laws to prevent discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS, and to boost access to free medical interventions for the disease. Yet discrimination persists. As World AIDS Day is marked today, the WHO says AIDS can be eliminated as a public health threat by 2030 if human rights are emphasized. Today’s theme is “Take the rights path: My health, my right.”

“Challenging stigma and discrimination as well as protecting everyone’s human rights are essential to achieving universal HIV care and breaking down barriers to access,” the WHO declared.