Philippines introduces new laws to combat HIV

The Philippines Senate voted 14-0 in favour of major updates to the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998. The new law will improve “HIV services, especially for key populations and vulnerable communities, and ensure social and financial risk protection for those who need to access these services.”

It will also “‘enhance anti-discrimination protection to promote the human rights of Filipinos living with HIV, key populations and vulnerable communities, and providers of HIV services,” as well as providing more funds for HIV education at schools, workplaces and vulnerable areas.

HIV has been a national emergency in the country in recent times, with new diagnoses jumping 3,147 percent from 2007 to 2016. Young men who have sex with men, trans people, and drug users are the people at most risk.

Senator Hontiveros spearheaded the bill and praised the new law on twitter: “This is an important victory in our fight to reverse the tide of the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the country. We now have a stronger and modern policy tool to appropriately respond to this problem.”

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