DOH wants AIDS control taught in schools

MANILA, Philippines - To effectively combat HIV/AIDS, the Department of Health (DOH) has sought the integration of programs against the disease in all institutions of learning.

DOH Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the country’s HIV/AIDS situation has already reached alarming proportions as it is now “expanding and growing” from the previous “low and slow and hidden and growing.”

Cabral said one of the best ways to control the spread of HIV/AIDS is to educate the youth about its menace and prevention.

“Education is a potent weapon in combating this disease, hence, the integration in school curricula is vital.”

The Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority have integrated HIV/AIDS issues and concerns in their respective plans and activities.

But the DOH said challenges exist for implementing schools due to weak institutional capacity to integrate HIV/AIDS education in the curricula of various grade levels, protest from opposing sectors of the society, and uncertain receptivity of Filipino culture about “sexuality in the context of formal learning environments.”

These are among the issues to be discussed at the 2010 HIV Summit organized by the DOH on April 12 with the theme “A call to action for broad-based responses to AIDS by leaders.”

The DOH hopes to get suggestions from participants on curbing HIV/AIDS during the summit.

“HIV/AIDS as a major public health threat knows no territorial, social, political or economic boundaries. The time to act against this scourge is now,” Cabral said.

DOH records showed that from 1984 to January 2010, a total of 4,569 HIV/AIDS cases were reported in the country.             – Sheila Crisostomo