Philippines Urged to Promote Condom Use More Aggressively

On Thursday at the end of a three-day meeting in Manila, the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund urged the Philippines to take a more aggressive stance in promoting condom use. The two agencies, citing a 2005 health department survey, said a 57 percent condom use rate among Filipino sex workers is too low. "Greater political commitment is needed to boost the Philippines' 100 percent condom use program in the fight against HIV/AIDS," said a statement by WHO and UNPF.

The heath department survey, conducted in 10 key cities, revealed that "only half of sex workers, including men who have sex with men [MSM]," were aware of key precautions to prevent HIV infection. Even in the central city of Cebu, where condom use was highest at 81 percent, the study found a high prevalence of unprotected sex among MSM and IV drug users. None of the 10 cities, it said, offered comprehensive HIV prevention outreach services.

"Target interventions to reduce transmission of HIV in the higher-risk populations should be strengthened so that the rate of transmission from high-risk group to low-risk group populations would be controlled," said WHO country representative Jean-Marc Olive.

The predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines has recorded only 2,566 cases of HIV/AIDS since its first diagnosis was made in 1984. But some experts fear the true number of Filipinos with HIV/AIDS could be much higher.

Despite the country's low HIV/AIDS prevalence, said Olive, "sexually transmitted infections, which are a co-factor in HIV transmission, remain high. [STIs] provide a route for HIV transmission through unprotected sex and needle sharing," he said.

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