Palace concerned over HIV/AIDS rise

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang expressed concern over the report that the Philippines was among seven countries that are seeing a surge in the number of HIV/AIDS cases.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace would ask the Department of Health (DOH) for an update on the government’s efforts to control the rise in HIV/AIDS cases in the country.

Taking steps

“This is a point of concern for us but the DOH has already raised this in a previous discussion so we know the DOH is aware, the DOH is concerned and the DOH is acting and taking immediate steps to arrest the rise,” Valte said over state-run radio dzRB.

Valte made the remarks following a report attributed to epidemiologist Celia Flor Brillantes showing that the Philippines was among the countries with rising AIDS cases.

The others are Tajikistan, Krygyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Bangladesh and Armenia.

“We will wait for their update because the last time we talked—it seems it was early this year—they had a program to arrest the increase of these cases. This includes an information campaign,” Valte said.

“First of all, it is important for our countrymen to know and be aware of the disease, how this is contracted and how this can be prevented,” she said.