An impossible mission

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral had been quoted in newspaper reports as saying during last Monday's HIV summit held in a hotel in Manila that "we need to show we're serious in our aim to bring down (HIV-Aids cases here)".

I don't know if she gave it a lot of thought first before issuing the statement because I believe that you cannot stop the number of HIV-Aids from rising. One of the reasons why the country is experiencing a spike in the HIV-Aids cases is because more and more people are having themselves tested if they have the virus that destroys one's immune system unlike before when individuals who engaged in high-risk activities like unprotected sex and sharing of needles were scared of getting tested for fear of stigma if they prove positive of HIV or there were no adequate counseling services available back then.

The country's small number of HIV-Aids cases in the past was actually "just the tip of the iceberg". There were many unreported cases, I am sure, which included persons who didn't even know they had HIV because they did not get tested.

But now, since adequate counseling is available before and after a HIV test and with government protection and services for HIV-positive persons provided under Republic Act 8504, we now see many getting themselves tested.

I see the continued rise in HIV-Aids cases in the country and for Secretary Cabral to say they want to bring it down is like saying you want to stop the sun from shining.