Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral

While newly-appointed as the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) Secretary this January, she has hit the ground running on addressing HIV/AIDS in the country. Here are some highlights of her work in the 8 weeks she's been Health Secretary:

• Announced that HIV/AIDS will be an epidemic in the Philippines by the end of 2010:

• Organized DOH staff to distribute free condoms & HIV/AIDS info in Manila on Valentine's Day (AP article here)

• Spent $8 million of Global Fund grant (grant total $19 million) to buy condoms which will be distributed to citizens for free (Manila Standard Today article here)

As one of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's appointed cabinet members, Ms. Cabral's term as Health Secretary technically ends when the president's term ends (I believe it ends this June). Whether or not the next president of the Philippines keeps Cabral on, she is definitely making the most of her current title, especially in making pro-active decisions regarding HIV/AIDS education and prevention; in turn, giving Pinoy HIV/AIDS advocates and NGOs the public relations & funds they need to continue their efforts in the motherland.

28% of young Pinoys think that AIDS is curable while 73% think that they are immune to HIV.

"The Department of Education and the UN children’s agency UNICEF raises the alarm on the rising cases of STI and HIV infections in young Filipinos. Recent findings reveal that the Philippines is currently witnessing an increase of new HIV infection as never before. Reported infections among 15-24 year old Filipinos increased five-fold from 41 in 2007 to 218 in 2009, according to the DoH AIDS Registry.

To respond to the need for immediate action, DepEd and UNICEF launched an innovative, interactive approach to help young people learn about risky behaviours, STI, HIV and AIDS. The Power of You, an innovative educational campaign aimed toward high school students follows the story of Francis and Sara, typical teens who face big challenges everyday. The interactive video allows users to choose the path that their characters will take, through decision points depicting drama and humor of a normal teenager’s life.

Apart from rising cases of infection, national surveys also reveal that misperceptions about HIV still prevail among Filipino youth, and more of them are engaging in pre-marital sexual activity. The 2003 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFSS) showed that 28% of young adults thought that AIDS is curable while 73% thought that they are immune to HIV. Overall prevalence of sexual activity increased from 18 to 23% between 1994 and 2002."

Read the full press release & FAQs on "The Power of You" UNICEF Philippines HIV/AIDS educational campaign here.