AIDS high on agenda of IPU general assembly in Manila

Because AIDS is considered a pandemic, the response must be global in scope.

With the alarming statistics on the prevalence of the dreaded Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) worldwide, lawmakers of 145 countries who are attending the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) general assembly in Manila from April 3 to 9 will look for solutions to address the global concern on AIDS.

AIDS is a disease that destroys the human immune system, eventually leaving its victims bodies unable to fight off infections. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which gestates in the body for up to ten years before full-blown AIDS develops, though symptoms of the infection may develop earlier.

HIV is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, transfusion of infected blood, from an infected mother to her unborn child and through sharing of contaminated needles among users of illegal injected drugs.

There is no known cure yet for AIDS, but there are modes of drug therapy that are available which can help extend AIDS patients’ lives and ease symptoms.

Senate President and IPU host Franklin Drilon said the role of parliaments in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the top agendas of the six-day IPU conference, which kicks off next week. Over 1,300 delegates led by 46 heads of parliaments have confirmed their participation in the IPU conference, Drilon said.

Citing a report from the World Health Organization (WHO), Drilon said 20 million AIDS patients have died worldwide.

According to the WHO, an estimated 40 million people, including 7.4 million people living in Asia, are HIV-positive and the virus is spreading rapidly.

Last year, the WHO estimated that the AIDS virus is transmitted to 10 people every minute — data which indicate 13,500 people are infected with HIV daily.

Drilon said the IPU will put a high premium on the need to address the problem posed by the quick spread of the AIDS virus.

"It is imperative for governments to take serious and concerted actions to combat this plague in view of its devastating human, economic and social impact," he said.

At the end of the conference, the IPU is expected to pass a resolution calling for IPU member parliaments to harmonize their legislation in combating the global spread of HIV.

Drilon lamented that many countries have not translated their commitments to international agreements on HIV/AIDS prevention into specific laws and policies.

A report prepared by Cebu Rep. Clavel Martinez, a member of the IPU Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, and Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye of Uganda, proposed that laws and policies of IPU member nations must be synchronized to make the fight against HIV/AIDS effective. They said that even where such laws and policies, exist, "they may not be harmonized."

Martinez said sex workers in the Philippines are penalized because prostitution is a crime. Laws to regulate the flesh trade may not be enforceable, since they may be inconsistent with other laws in various jurisdictions.

She also said mandatory HIV testing is prohibited under the country’s privacy laws, but Filipino workers seeking overseas employment must undergo these tests because they are a requirement of foreign employers.

Martinez and Tumwesigye urged legislators to ratify and implement international treaties on HIV/AIDS prevention domestically.

In their report, they also called for the enactment of laws that respect the human rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS, particularly their rights to education, employment, privacy, protection and access to treatment and social services.

In a related development, Drilon said the Philippines can take advantage of the IPU as an opportunity to push for high-level exposure for the Philippines.

Such exposure he said, could have an all-encompassing impact on the nation’s social, economic and political life.

"With the overwhelming response of lawmakers from 145 IPU-member countries to participate in the biggest ever gathering of influential leaders at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), I am confident the country will benefit from it immensely," he said.

Drilon said this after the arrival of Hermann Burgi, a member of the Swiss Council of States, and his wife on March 23.

Switzerland is sending 10 delegates to the six-day conference. Early arrivals included a 15-member delegation from Thailand composed mainly of foreign relations officers who flew in Friday. Thailand is sending 25 delegates.

The first head of parliament is set to arrive today - Francis Ole Kaparo, speaker of Kenya’s national assembly. The heads of parliament of Morocco and Burkina Faso are expected to arrive on Wednesday.

President Arroyo will deliver the keynote address at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on April 3. The succeeding meetings will be held at the PICC.

The heads of parliament of Europe and Africa are the second highest ranking officials in their countries because they systems of government mostly do not provide for vice presidents.

The largest number of delegates to the IPU conference will come from Japan and the Gulf state of Kuwait, which will be sending 35 and 33 parliamentarians, respectively. Russia and South Korea will send 30 delegates each.