EDITORIAL - World AIDS Day 2001

Sarah Jane Salazar is gone, leaving the campaign against AIDS without a face in this country. Health officials worry that the nation is slipping into complacency in dealing with the disease. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has killed 25 million people worldwide since its discovery two decades ago, while an estimated 40 million are infected with the AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus. The Philippines, however, has so far escaped the worst of the disease, with a relatively low 1,561 cases of full-blown AIDS reported as of last September.

Health officials warn that the number can rise. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 10,000 Filipinos are infected with HIV and can spread the virus. Health officials worry about low condom use in a country where poverty fuels the sex industry.

Men can play a major role in the fight against the disease. World AIDS Day is observed today with a focus on men and their role in preventing the spread of HIV. This year’s theme – "I care… do you?" – is an extension of the theme in 2000, "Men can make a difference." WHO’s regional office for the Western Pacific reports that up to 80 percent of people infected with HIV in the region are men. Through special programs and information campaigns, health officials hope to get men actively involved in AIDS prevention.

The annual report of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS showed that three million people are expected to die of AIDS this year, making it the fourth biggest killer disease in the world. Another five million are expected to contract HIV this year, with Eastern Europe having the highest number of new infections. In Asia, health officials are alarmed about the rapid increase in the infection rate, with new HIV cases exceeding one million this year.

Relatively low infection figures in the Philippines may lead Filipinos to ignore the disease. The problem, however, has become so widespread that the nation is likely to face bigger worries soon. Before this happens, the nation should embark on an aggressive program of prevention. Those already suffering from the disease should also not be forgotten. The AIDS problem did not go away with Sarah Jane.