| 6
|
Combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases |
TARGET
7: Halt
and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 |
STATUS |
*
The number of reported AIDS cases has continued to rise since
1987, affecting all age groups, particularly adolescents and
adults who are in the productive ages. With the country’s
2.5% birth rate, it is perceived that 2,250 to 3,250 infants
born each year are at-risk of having HIV infection.
* There is an increase in HIV infection among injecting drug
users from 15% in 1999 to 48.8% in 2000 and 47.9% in 2002.
* HIV infection rates are high among female sex workers, prisons
and correctional institutions.
* Condom use during the last sexual intercourse among sex
workers varied between regions.
* The proportion of contraceptive-use of married women ages
15 to 49 is very low.
* There is a low percentage of HIV/AIDS awareness among young
people aged 15 to 24.
*
To date, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among people aged 15 to
29 is estimated to be still below .1%.
*
There is a high rate of HIV/AIDS infected pregnant women and
infants. |
*
Since 1984 until 2000, the HIV/AIDS Registry has recorded
1,441 HIV AB seropositive cases, 486 of which had AIDS.218
were recorded deaths.
*
Majority of the cases belonged to the 20-49 age group, and
most are males.
*
Of the 1,441 HIV cases, 26% are Overseas Filipino Workers.
*
The predominant mode of transmission is sexual intercourse.
*
While the number of cases in each year has been increasing,
there seems to be no indication that the numbers would significantly
rise.
* The HIV/AIDS situation in the Philippines is a “nascent
epidemic,” that is, the number of confirmed cases of HIV/AIDS
is low and the rate of increase in the number of cases is
slow. |
*
The country has made extraordinary progress in reversing the
spread of HIV/AIDS. Infections have fallen dramatically from
and estimated 143,000 in 1991 to about 19,000 in 2003.the
prevalence rate rose and peaked in 1995 at 2.3%. After which,
it slowly dropped to 1.4% in 2002.
* In 2003, an estimated 604,000 Thais are living with HIV/AIDS.
*
The highest rates were found in areas with a high concentration
of fishing communities.
*
HIV prevalence has reached 17% among young gay men; 50% among
injecting drug users; and, 6% among mobile laborers in some
industrial locations. It continues to spread among se workers
with prevalence of 20% in the north and central regions.
* Seafarers and fishermen are especially at-risk for HIV infection
since they are difficult to reach with safe sex education.
* In the 15-29 year old age group, women accounted for 61%
of new infection in 2003.
* In a 2001 study, as many as 289,000 children had lost their
mother to AIDS.
* The affordability of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs has been
one of the major obstacles limiting HIV/AIDS patents’ access
to treatment. |
CHALLENGES |
*
The biggest challenge will be preventing a large-scale generalized
HIV epidemic.
*
Need for effective programmes to address the risk factors
fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS.
* Limited supplies and high prices or anti-retroviral drugs.
|
*
Sustaining prevention activities.
*
Strengthening multi-sectoral involvement.
* Mobilizing local responses.
|
*
Learning from the past.
* Revitalizing a broad-based response through strong political
leadership.
* Shifting the focus of prevention.
*
Mobilizing the school system.
*
Achieving universal access to ARV treatment.
|
| TARGET
8: Have halted
by 2015, and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other
major diseases |
STATUS |
Malaria
* Nearly half the Indonesian population- more than 90 million
people - live in malaria endemic areas.
* Insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets and residual house
spraying are among the preventive efforts on minimizing the
contact between humans and mosquitoes.
* Among children under 5 years who experience clinical symptoms
of malaria, an estimated 4.4% received anti-malarial drugs,
while the vast majority, 67.6%, was given other drugs to reduce
fever.
* About half of the cases reported are diagnosed only by clinical
symptoms with no laboratory confirmation, which can lead to
inaccurate and inappropriate treatment.
* The loss of individual income from malaria is estimated
at US$56.6 million annually.
Tuberculosis
* The country ranks 3rd in the world for the highest
number of tuberculosis cases recorded.
* In 1998, there is a national prevalence of 786 new and existing
cases per 100,000 people.
* The tuberculosis death rate in 1998 was 68 per 100,000 people.The
highest case fatality rates were in South Sulawesi, Bangka
Belitung, Aceh, NTT and East Kalimantan.
* In 2002, the total notified tuberculosis cases were 155,188
from 92,792 in 2001.
* Cohort analysis shows that 85.7% of cases successfully completed
treatment in 2001.
Tobacco
* This is a major contributor to ill health among the poorest
families.
* In 2001, 31.5% of adults smoked, mostly men.
*
It is perceived that people make an informed choice on whether
to smoke or not.
* About 70% of Indonesian smokers started smoking before the
age of 19. |
Malaria
* It is still one of the 10 leading causes of morbidity in
the Philippines but is no longer a leading cause of death.
* Remains a major public health issue and is present to some
extent in majority of the provinces.
* A reduction in the morbidity rate has been observed, from
123 cases per 100,000 population in 1990 to 73 cases per 100,000
population in 1998.
*
Deaths are mainly due to delay in seeking treatment, misdiagnosis
and inappropriate case management.
Tuberculosis
*
It is the 5th leading cause of death and the 6th
leading cause of morbidity in 1995.
* TB mortality rate has declined from 69 deaths per 100,000
population in 1975 to 39 deaths per 100,000 population in
1995.
*
Deaths were higher among males, 66%, and among the productive
age group 15-64 years old, 60%.
*
TB cases are about two times more common in urban areas than
in rural areas. |
Malaria
*
There is a decline in malaria incidences until the disease
is no longer life-threatening for a large part of the population.
* Prevention efforts have been implemented including the use
of insecticide-treated bed nets; DDT residual spraying; thermal
fogging; and anti-larval measures.
* In 2001, 77% of the malaria cases were in the Thai-Myanmar
and Thai-Cambodian borders.
Tuberculosis
*
Estimated to have 80,000 to 100,000 tuberculosis cases in
1997, of which about 30,000 were HIV/AIDS co-infection.
*
A relatively new and rapid treatment regime for tuberculosis
known as directly observed treatment for short course (DOTS)
was introduced in 1996.
*
Heart disease is a growing concern since it is a leading cause
of morbidity and mortality among Thais. |
CHALLENGES |
Malaria
* Poverty.
* Political unrest, natural disaster and population movements.
* Limited human resources/funding
* People’s resistance to drugs and insecticides.
Tuberculosis
* Political commitment.
* Accurate diagnosis through sputum microscopy.
* Directly observed treatment compliance.
* Uninterrupted drug supply.
* Accurate reporting and recording systems of cases.
Tobacco
* Tobacco use is accounted for a large proportion of the total
burden of disease.
* It not only inflicts on society the cost of chronic care
for those suffering from lung cancer and other tobacco-related
illnesses, but it also decreases the productivity of workers
who smoke.
* Lack of resources. |
*
Reaching vulnerable population in far-flung areas.
* Strengthening local capacities.
* Coordinating / forging partnerships with non-government
service providers.
* Adopting alternative forms of financing program activities. |
*
Regional approaches to combating malaria.
* Monitoring tuberculosis infection among people living with
HIV/AIDS.
*
Promoting awareness and information about heart disease. |
