‘HIV testing for Noy, Cabinet may not be effective strategy’

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) doubts that making President Aquino and his Cabinet undergo HIV testing would remove the stigma associated with the disease.

Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said they are not yet convinced that such strategy is effective.

“We are studying the suggestion,” he said.

“We don’t want it done without any reason at all and then it does not remove the stigma and discrimination.”

Last Saturday, the Dangal National Network had asked Aquino, Health Secretary Enrique Ona and other Cabinet secretaries to undergo HIV testing to prove that there is nothing wrong with undergoing the procedure.

Jonas Bagas, Dangal president and the Library Foundation executive director, said HIV services are severely undermined by the climate of stigma surrounding the epidemic.

Tayag said Dangal’s proposal might fail if they would be deluged with people who are willing to undergo the procedure without sufficient testing centers, re-agents and personnel to attend to them.

“It may backfire,” he said.

“We want to make sure that if we make that call, there are enough facilities. Otherwise, it will boomerang on us.”

Under Republic Act 8504 the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, “the State shall extend to every person suspected or known to be infected with HIV/AIDS full protection of his/her human rights and civil liberties.”

It also states that “compulsory HIV testing shall be considered unlawful unless otherwise provided in this Act.”