Health chief reiterates firm stand on RH, other controversial issues

DAGUPAN CITY , Philippines  – Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said yesterday she is firm in her stand on controversial issues like sex education for children, the fight against HIV/AIDS and tobacco use.

Cabral, who attended the 1st Department of Health (DOH) Medical Specialists Summit at the CSI Stadia here, said it’s up to the next administration to continue or discontinue her programs, especially her vocal support for the proposal to teach sex education to children in grade school.

“I just want people to know what they should know,” she said. “I stand by sex education even to children… I support sex education but it must be given in an age appropriate manner. We have to answer their questions… and finally I stand by my position on reproductive health.”

Cabral, who was a former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said she does not regret accepting the health department portfolio. In fact, she said she is thankful she has been given the chance to serve the people in the health sector.

Corollary to her reproductive health program using condoms, she said that about four months ago, she saw the number of Human Immuno Virus (HIV)-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases jump from one every three days to four every day.

Asked for the possible reason behind the big jump in the number of HIV cases now being diagnosed, she said it can be attributed to the non-implementation of the correct and consistent use of condoms in cases when a person cannot abstain from sex or cannot be faithful to one partner.

She admitted though that the opposition of the Catholic Church has somehow stymied their program to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases through the use of condoms.

“Many of us do not understand the issue but object to it outright,” she explained in Filipino. “I understand we all have different views about different things but my focus is our work at the DOH, which is health promotion for all.”

Another area which she said she is focusing on now is advocacy for the use of graphic health information on tobacco packs and the removal of misleading descriptors, translating the warning “no therapeutic claims approved” to Tagalog so people would understand it better.

Expectedly, she said the tobacco industry was up in arms and some were even using the tobacco farmers to oppose it.