Thursday, December 17, 2009

Experts note 'slow epidemic' of AIDS

By JENNY F. MANONGDO, The Manila Bulletin
December 16, 2009, 12:55pm

The HIV/AIDS incidence in the country continues to grow and is now being considered as a "slow epidemic" by experts who think that aggressive hunting for cases should be applied by the health department to arrest this situation.

Infectious disease expert of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and Associate Professor Dr. Edcel Salvana said the government should adopt the "opt-out strategy" where there is no need for the consent of the person to undergo HIV testing.

But he emphasized that in applying this strategy, there is a great need to strengthen the capacity of health facilities to keep all information confidential to protect the identity of persons who undergo HIV testing especially those who are confirmed for HIV.

Read more HERE.

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