Posted on 02/21/2005 8:49:27 AM PST by petconservative
UNAIDS chief warns against Philippine complacency 21 Feb 2005 11:45:02 GMT
Source: Reuters
MANILA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The Philippines could see a sharp rise in AIDS cases in the coming years, partly due to opposition to condom use by the powerful Roman Catholic Church, the head of the United Nations AIDS programme said on Monday.
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Source: Reuters
MANILA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The Philippines could see a sharp rise in AIDS cases in the coming years, partly due to opposition to condom use by the powerful Roman Catholic Church, the head of the United Nations AIDS programme said on Monday.
UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot told reporters that while the number of cases in the Philippines remained relatively low, the country had all the ingredients for an AIDS epidemic, including a high prevalence of unprotected sex, widespread prostitution and high migration.
The Catholic Church, which has a strong influence on government policy, has refused to approve the use of condoms, instead telling its millions of followers to practise chastity and natural birth control methods.
"Church leaders should not make statements that will kill people," Piot said.
"Accessibility of condoms is one of the key elements in fighting AIDS."
The Philippine health department said there were only 2,000 cases of AIDS in the country, with about 100 people newly infected each month.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a staunch Catholic, has rejected proposed funding increases for contraceptives and the government gives local authorities the power to decide their own family planning policies.
Piot was speaking at the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he signed a memorandum of understanding between UNAIDS and the ADB to strengthen the response to AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region.
The region has an estimated 8.2 million people living with the HIV virus, making it the worst-affected area after sub-Saharan Africa.
A joint report by UNAIDS and the ADB last year found that an additional 10 million people could be infected by 2010 without urgent action to step up prevention and care programmes.
The RCC is right. They should practice chastity, but they won't. Should they be refused protection?
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